Fairytale
by SeppakuStar
Summary: "We're not living in a fairytale, woman." Inoue finds herself in a confusing positions as she spends more and more time with Ulquiorra, developing a bond that can't be put into words. UlquiHime
1. On The Edge

**A/N : Hi everyone! Gah, I need to finish my other fics, not make new ones D: Anyway, sorry for making you all wait, but I'd a few issues to deal with and that took a long time (and a lot of energy) so … But anywayz! Read and enjoy 3  
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**Fairytale**

She heard them. They were faint and swift but yet audible. They echoed through every hall and room in the empty palace. The marble floor gave them away. Inoue shifted uncomfortably

in her bed as she listened to the rhythmic taps in the hallway.

Footsteps**.**

_His _oh so familiar footsteps. He was coming. Inoue pulled the blanket over her head and sighed wearily. She was not in the mood for his lectures and insults. Yes, he'd hurt her sometimes. Not physically, but mentally. She didn't know whether he was aware of this or not and if he did it on purpose. He did the latter of course. He never did things subconsciously. But it'd hurt her when he'd spoken about her friends, saying there was no hope for them. It'd hurt her when he'd threatened her when she'd refused her meals. It'd hurt her when she'd slapped him. She didn't intend to do it, really, because she doesn't like to see people hurting but he'd overstepped his bounds that time.

Inoue heard that the footsteps had faded and stared at the door of her cell. She could almost _see_ him right through the door as he approached it ; Hands pocketed, back straight, pale skin, tails of his coat trailing behind him, stoic expression on his face and beautiful green eyes taking in every inch of his surroundings. He had an eerie and frightening reiatsu, she'd to admit that. It was strong and weighed down on your shoulders like a giant was pushing you down on the ground. But he was so damn _elegant_ at the same time. His movements, the way he spoke. He was just too perfect. Not to mention the brains he possesses, calculating and analyzing everything in this world before he marked it with his own opinion about it. And that would normally be 'trash'. Everything was just plain trash. He could bring your whole world down with just that one word. He could destroy you in the blink of an eye. And not just your body, but mentally too. He attacked you with _words_. First, he would figure you out ; your personality, your habits and so on, and then he would drag you down with his own negative and nihilistic lectures. But there was one thing he couldn't quite put his finger on. He couldn't see nor belief it hence he didn't understand.

Inoue's musing was interrupted when the cold and heavy door of her cell opened. She closed her eyes quickly and pretended to be asleep as the Espada entered the room. He stood in the doorway for a moment before he shut the door and approached the bed slowly. It shifted under his weight as he sat down on the edge, his upper body turned slightly so he could face Inoue. He narrowed his eyes for a split second before a soft and faint sigh left his lips and turned his head away.

"Woman. Stop pretending to be asleep. It's pathetic." Ulquiorra said. A blush crept up her face as Inoue cracked her eyes open and smiled sheepishly.

"Gomen nasai, Ulquiorra-san." She fiddled with her hands in shame as his unnerving, icy glare pierced her eyes.

"Ano, what are you doing here at this late hour, Ulquiorra-san?" Inoue rose to a sitting position. Ulquiorra averted his eyes from hers for a few seconds, as if he was considering his reply, before he reverted them and furrowed his brows.

"Woman…" He hesitated and rose up, only to sit down again with his whole body on the bed. His legs were under him and his hands rested in his lap, never fiddling nor moving. He stared into Inoue's eyes, taking his time. He was blessed with a thing called 'patience' anyway, unlike Inoue, who chewed on her lower lip and rocked back and forth impatiently.

"What is a heart?" He asked. Inoue's fiddling stopped and her eyes widened. He'd asked this before, in Aizen's throne room before Ichigo'd made his entrance. Inoue saddened at the memory. Ulquiorra and Ichigo'd a fierce battle that time. And Ichigo'd lost and retreated with severe grave wounds, screaming he would come back, kick Ulquiorra's ass, and take Inoue with him. Unfortunately, that had been two months ago. Inoue wondered why he didn't come and had started to fear the worst ; he was probably killed. When she'd asked Ulquiorra about him he'd just remained silent. Her question remained unanswered. Inoue sighed in distress.

'Just don't think about it…' Inoue closed her eyes, trying to think about something else. Her mind drifted off to her home in Karakura. It's been empty for almost five months now. There must be dust and cobwebs in every corner of her cosy, small living place.

"I find it hard to believe that you need to think for such a long time of an answer for my question, woman." Ulquiorra's voice broke her train of thoughts and she snapped her eyes open and stared at him with a dumb expression.

"Question?" Inoue blinked.

Ulquiorra _refused_ to twitch.

Instead of doing so, he closed his vibrant orbs.

"Yes. I won't repeat myself." He said. Inoue put a finger to her lips and set her gaze on the ceiling.

"Ah! The question about the heart! I remember!...What about it?" Inoue gave him a dumb stare.

"Woman, you're unbelievable." Ulquiorra shook his head almost unnoticeable.

"Well, the heart is one of the mist vital organs in the body. It pumps blood thr-"

"I don't want you to tell me, I want you to show me. Where is it? Why can't I sense its presence?" A rude interruption, but Inoue understood Ulquiorra's curiosity and need to know about the heart and edged closer to him. He leaned back slightly and gave her a silent glare. A warning to not come any closer to him.

"I'm not going to hurt or molest you or something." Inoue muttered. Ulquiorra frowned.

"I want to show you." Inoue adverted her eyes from his', reached out and took the zipper of his coat between thumb and forefinger. She awaited his reaction but he didn't move a muscle, just kept staring at her. How did he _do_ that? Staring people straight in the eye without adverting his', not even considering how _rude_ it can be to stare openly at people like that. But what if he didn't do it on purpose? What if he was just…curious? Or perhaps he was just thinking about … well not much since he's a _Hollow_. An empty being. Guilt washed over her. He must be so _lonely_. She pitied him. Her enemy. A _bloody_ Hollow. No, that's not right. He was human before he transformed into a Hollow, just like her brother. Could he remember his past life? What was it like? How did he look like? Was he in love? Was he _happy_? A weird sound escaped past her lips. Frustration. She didn't get the answers she wanted.

Inoue unzipped Ulquiorra's coat and slid it down over his shoulders, revealing a fairly muscled chest as the fabric slid down further until it fell on the mattress in a crumpled heap around him.

"Woman…" Ulquiorra growled and his expression darkened. Inoue swallowed visibly and placed her hand on his chest, right where his Hollow hole was located. The warmth of her hand penetrated his cold Hierro flesh and Ulquiorra grunted softly. Her fingers trailed along the edge of his hole.

"You…You're not whole." Inoue murmured as she let her fingers descend to his big, gothic four tattoo on his chest.

"That's what I told you all this time, woman. I _don't_ have a heart. It's replaced with emptiness." Ulquiorra wrapped his fingers around her wrist and removed her hand from his chest. Inoue noticed his fingers lingered a bit longer around her wrist before he let go.

"Why? Has it something to do with the past? When you were human?" Inoue whispered, avoiding his sharp gaze. Ulquiorra watched her with what seemed interest.

"What makes you presume that?" Ulquiorra questioned. Inoue bit her lower lip and rested her hands in her lap.

"Well, every Hollow has been human in their past life. So I thought that past life affects their personality, looks etcetera, in their life as a Hollow. But I also believe that people in their environment can change those characteristics." Inoue stared through her eyelashes at Ulquiorra as she finished her little speech.

"Are you saying that I can _obtain_ a heart?" Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed in the slightest. Inoue blushed and rubbed her forearm.

"I know it sounds ridiculous," She paused to take a deep breath "But I believe you can." Inoue stared him in the eyes and saw confusion behind his green orbs and smiled slightly.

"Woman," He started "We're not living in a fairytale." Inoue's eyes widened for a second, before she frowned and averted her gaze on the ground. Ulquiorra closed his eyes and stood up, grabbing his coat.

"I must go. I'll come back with your dinner within four hours. Until then, sleep." Ulquiorra ordered and put his coat back on and made his way towards the door.

Inoue's eyesight blurred as tears welled up. She wanted him to _feel_ so bad. She wanted to give him a heart, but didn't how. A harsh sob left her mouth and Ulquiorra stopped dead in his tracks. She was on the edge of breaking down. She clutched her sheets as tears slid down her face.

She suddenly felt a presence looming over her and looked up to see Ulquiorra standing beside her bed. He leaned in and brushed a tear away with his thumb. Inoue finally broke down and wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into his chest. Ulquiorra stood still and listened to her crying. He didn't try to remove himself from her grasp for he found it slightly interesting at how she reacted. He felt her hand grasp a strand of his hair and tug it slightly, and grunted.

Inoue sniffed and gently tugged at Ulquiorra's hair. His arms rested limply at his side. He offered her no comfort but didn't break the embrace either. She softly pulled him down on the bed and tightened her hold on him. She felt his body stiffen and realized they've never been so close before. Ulquiorra placed an arm beside her head and pushed himself up, but Inoue tugged him down again.

"Woman." Ulquiorra sounded displeased.

"Please," She begged "Stay with me."

"Why would I stay?" Ulquiorra's voice was low and slightly filled with malice and annoyance.

"I…I need you." Inoue whispered and Ulquiorra's eyes widened slightly.

"Why me? I lack that what you seek. I'm empty." He spoke quietly.

"That's not true. You're not empty. You're just missing a piece of yourself that needs to be found. I can help you find that piece." And with that she summoned her Sōten Kisshun and positioned her hands in front of his Hollow hole.

"Sōten Kisshun, I reject." A golden oval appeared and covered the hole. Ulquiorra stared at her wide-eyed.

"Woman, what do you think you're doing?" He sounded angry.

"I'm filling up the gap between you and me." Inoue said. Ulquiorra's brow creased but then it hit him.

She was changing him into a human. A weak, emotional and pathetic being. She was taking away his dignity.

He growled and grabbed her roughly by the wrists and put her arms over her head. The golden shield disappeared and Inoue whimpered.

"You're forgetting your place, woman. And I will tell you once more: We're not living in a fairytale. You can't change me." Ulquiorra hissed. He rose up and left the room.

Inoue lay there for a few minutes, startled by his sudden outburst, before she wrapped her arms around herself and cried herself to sleep.


	2. A Caged Beast

**So here's chap. 2 :D Enjoy. And thanks for all the wonderful reviews and favs! I really appreciate it! :D  
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**Chapter Two: A Caged Beast**

The moon illuminated her face with bright, white light. Her face pale and beautiful, wore a sombre expression. Her red, outstanding hair flowed down to her waist. She had her hands clasped together, giving the impression as if she was praying, though she wasn't. She was hoping. Hoping her friends would come and save her from this hell.

Heh.

How ironic. It sounded as if she lived in a fairytale. Princess locked away in a tower, waiting for her Prince Charming to come and rescue her. But _he_ said they didn't live in a fairytale. No. This was reality. He said her friends wouldn't come, because this was real life. And real life was harsh. It showed no mercy. He showed no mercy. And she knew the reason. He was empty.

She felt his eyes on her back, but didn't turn around nor acknowledge his presence. She had to admit that he unnerved her. She gazed at the moon. It was stark white, just like his face. The moon also had something sad, something melancholic, just like him. She couldn't reach the moon, even if she tried really hard. She also couldn't reach out to him. The moon wasn't whole tonight. So was he. He was empty. He missed an important piece. She'd tried to help him find it, but he didn't want it to be found. Maybe that's what he stands for: Emptiness. That's what his being is. And, perhaps, that's what he wants to be? She didn't know. Maybe he is afraid of becoming something else then he is now. Maybe he's afraid that he will not be empty anymore and actually feel. Maybe he's afraid of the unknown. Again, she didn't know.

"Woman," His voice, deep and low, broke the silence and her train of thoughts. Her brow furrowed slightly. He still called her that. He knew her name damn well. She turned her attention towards the stoic Espada.

"Why are you acting like this?" Ulquiorra asked and took a step closer to her "Is it because I upset you the other day? I don't understand. Why dwell on something meaningless like that? It's pointless. Your emotions make you vulnerable, and that vulnerability makes you weak. And the weak do not survive in the wild," Ulquiorra took another step and stretched his arm out. He lifted her chin and pierced her gaze with his' "They'll only survive if they're caged, like _you_." He said. Inoue's eyes widened. He was referring her to an animal. A wild, uncontrollable beast.

Her hand made its way to his face before she could think twice and struck him across the cheek. Again. She'd hit him before when he was provoking her with his thoughts on her nakama. And there. She did it again. Only this time he didn't walk away. His head was faced sideways because of the impact. He turned slowly to stare at her. An ominous and angry aura build up behind his vibrant orbs and Inoue felt her heartbeat quicken with fear. Her action had scared herself too but when looking into his eyes right now scared her even more. His hand shot out of his pocket and wrapped around her neck. Inoue yelped as he yanked her up. Her feet helplessly dangled beneath her as she squirmed to get out of his strong grip.

"Woman," He spat the word with venom "If you ever hit me again, I will not only hurt you mentally, but physically too. You seem to forget your place. Those who won't listen, will feel. Do you understand?" He threatened and Inoue squeaked a small yes and he let go of her. She fell on the ground with a 'thud' and hung her head as she reached for her pained neck. He has never violated her physically before. She knew he didn't fight unless provoked. She had tested his patience and crossed the line. She knew.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled as she looked up. Then she noticed. His cheek was slightly red from the impact and his nose bled. He pinched the bridge of his nose to slow the blood flowing out. He was about to turn around when she slowly raised up and reached out to him. She placed her hand on his forearm and called out for Sōten Kisshun. The fairies formed a golden oval and placed it over Ulquiorra's face. He stared at her. Was she mad? Why did she heal him when he'd hurt her? She'd done the same with Melony and Loly. Why? They were here enemies. The warmth radiating from the shield heated his cold Hierro skin. Ulquiorra felt the blood stop gushing out of his nose and blinked.

"There. All done." Inoue mumbled as the shield faded and the fairies retreated. Ulquiorra watched her with great interest.

"Why did you heal me? You're the who's hurt." He said. Inoue looked surprised.

"I don't know. I can't stand to see others get hurt." Inoue rubbed her forearm. Ulquiorra stared at her and pocketed his hands.

"You're a strange woman." He mumbled. Inoue smiled a small and half-heartedly smile. Ulquiorra closed his eyes and turned on his heel.

"Follow me, woman. Aizen-sama has requested your presence." He opened the door and waited for Inoue to come. She gave a quick nod and followed him out of her cell. So that was why he was here in the first place. Inoue swallowed visibly. She hated those meetings with Aizen. On the outside, he looked pretty normal, even welcoming and warm. But on the inside he was cold and merciless. Sometimes he would ask her to demonstrate her powers before him, and other times he just wanted to see if she was doing alright and if she _liked_ her stay at Las Noches. As if this was some sort of hotel. Inoue laughed mentally as she pictured the Espada's as bellhops and Aizen as the manager of the hotel. 'Welcome to Las Noches. I hope you will enjoy your stay here. Oh, one thing: don't get near Nnoitra, it's likely that he'll rape and molest you. Also don't come near Ulquiorra. If you annoy him he will punch a hole in your chest or Cero you…Or both. Have a happy stay!' Inoue now laughed out loud at her ridiculous thoughts. Ulquiorra halted and turned around.

"What's so funny, woman?" He asked dryly. Inoue clasped a hand over her mouth.

"Nothing." Inoue giggled. Ulquiorra grunted in response and continued his walk. Inoue stared at his back. He actually looked pretty much like a bellhop: those coattails floating behind him, his elegant posture. Inoue smiled and quickened her pace until she was right beside Ulquiorra. He gave her a quick glance from the corner of his eyes, before he closed them. He found her strange. Why was she smiling now? Not five minutes ago he had her in his grasp and threatened her, and now she was smiling.

Ulquiorra opened his vibrant orbs to see a figure approaching them at the end of the hallway. He furrowed his brow.

"Grimmjow." Said person looked up and grinned before he sonidoed towards the pair.

"Ulquiorra," He paused to look at Inoue and smirked "And the girl? Well, whadda ya know. What's she doin' out of her cell?" Grimmjow asked. Ulquiorra walked around him.

"Aizen-sama has requested her presence," Ulquiorra turned around "Woman, come on." He said. Inoue blinked a couple of times. She hadn't expected that Grimmjow was rather big.

"Uh…Hai." Inoue bowed before she trailed behind Ulquiorra, but was grabbed by the arm.

"Not so fast, girl. I need you to heal something." Grimmjow shrugged his jacket off, revealing a nasty wound on his back. Inoue's eyes widened.

"What did you do this time, Sexta? You know that we're not allowed to fight if Aizen-sama doesn't order us to do so." Ulquiorra emerged at Inoue's side and held Grimmjow's gaze with his own glare.

"Oi, that frickin' Tousen bastard did this while I had my back turned on him. Stupid shithole. He's gonna pay for this." Grimmjow cursed. Inoue called for her fairies and started on healing his wound.

"Shut up, Sexta. You know that we're not allowed to kill each other. Besides, Tousen-san's strength is greater then yours. You can't defeat him, not even in a hundred years." Ulquiorra pointed out. Grimmjow scowled.

"We'll see about that, pansy pants. Are you done, girl?" Grimmjow asked impatiently. Inoue looked up at the blue haired Espada.

"A-Almost." The wound was almost gone.

"Anyway, I think I can easily defeat you, Cuatro." Grimmjow grinned and leaned slightly forwards, invading his personal bubble. Ulquiorra raised his hand and impaled Grimmjow in the stomach with his bare hand. Grimmjow stumbled back and coughed. Inoue put her hand over her mouth and watched the Espada bicker.

"Shut up, _trash_." Ulquiorra re-pocketed his hand and turned around. Grimmjow snarled and launched himself at the smaller Espada. Before he could hit him, Ulquiorra sonidoed behind Grimmjow and shot a Cero at him. Grimmjow jumped away, the Cero barely missing him, and shot a Cero himself.

Inoue watched as the two shot Ceros at each other and constantly sonidoed to avoid the attacks. They were fast. Sonido was indeed a faster technique than Shunpo, but it made a more heavier and static sound, giving away where the person would reappear. Ulquiorra suddenly appeared before her, but was gone again before she could blink. Grimmjow was fast, but Ulquiorra was definitely faster. He barely touched the ground with his feet before he disappeared again. He shot a Cero at Grimmjow but missed and destroyed a part of the wall. Grimmjow grinned.

"Oi oi, Ulquiorra! Aizen-'_sama_' will not be happy when he hears his favourite Espada destroyed a part of tha wall. And I would know, ya know?" He spat and fired his Cero at Ulquiorra.

Inoue's eyes widened in horror as the Cero missed Ulquiorra and came her way at lightning speed. Calling out her shield would be useless against such a powerful Cero. She closed her eyes and felt her body being swept away. Strangely enough, she didn't feel any pain. She heard a loud bang and slightly opened her eyes to see that a huge hole had replaced a part of the wall. She could see the desert sand and the pitch black sky of Hueco Mundo and blinked. She wasn't dead. She felt something move rhythmically against her side. She now fully opened her eyes and looked up. Grey met green.

"Woman. Don't be reckless next time and get out of the way instead of standing there like a frozen doll." His stern voice made her flinch. He _saved_ her. She noticed he held her bridal style , one hand on her back and the other on the back of her knee. She let out a strangled sigh of relief. She was alive.

"Th-"

"Yo Cuatro, get a frickin' room, asshole!" Grimmjow's voice boomed throughout the room and Ulquiorra whipped his head to the side and glared at the outrageous Espada. He set Inoue on her feet and turned towards Grimmjow to release his wrath on him, when he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. Inoue's brows raised.

"Aizen-sama." Ulquiorra said and bowed. Grimmjow scolded.

"My, my, what has happened here, my children?" Aizen cocked his brow and smirked, already knowing the answer. Ulquiorra briefly glared at the other Espada.

"That _beast_ provoked a fight with me, Aizen-sama." Ulquiorra said. Inoue noticed Ulquiorra kept his gaze low instead of looking Aizen in the eyes. Must be some sort of subservience.

"Oh really?" Aizen cocked a brow. Grimmjow's eyes widened for a split second before he snarled.

"That's not true! I only needed her to heal a wound for me! I did no such thin' as provoking a fight!" Grimmjow snarled and glared at the fourth Espada and then at Aizen, who smirked in return.

"I'll let this pass. Only this time. But if I catch you two fighting next time, you will pay a high price, understood?" Aizen's smile faded and was replaced with a tight line as he warned the Espada. Ulquiorra and Grimmjow both nodded once and bowed simultaneously. Aizen then set his gaze on Inoue.

"I'm sorry if this frightened you, Inoue Orihime. I promise this won't happen again," Aizen flickered his gaze over to Ulquiorra "You can take her back to her room, Ulquiorra. I have no intention of speaking to her anymore." And with that Aizen disappeared. Inoue let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She watched Ulquiorra who watched her in return.

"Woma-"

"Thank you, Ulquiorra-san."


	3. As Pale As A Petal

**Chapter 3 is up! Thanks again for the reviews! I'm glad you all like it because that keeps me going :D  
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**Chapter Three: As Pale As A Petal**

Inoue let out an exhausted sigh and rolled the piece of meat around her plate with her fork. It tasted like shit. Well, she wish it really did because it would at least taste like _something_ then. She scrunched her nose in distaste and decided to let the meat be and eat the vegetables. Yeah right. _Vegetables_. That? Didn't think so. She watched the dark red, wrinkled tomato which rested beside the mushy rice. Whoever the cook was, he sure didn't know how to prepare a proper meal. Inoue put the plate on the little table and brought her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She wished she had something reasonable to eat. Like her own made sandwich with peanut butter and jelly. Her stomach growled furiously at the thoughts of her own food and she moaned silently. Inoue closed her eyes. Stupid Hueco Mundo and its mind numbingly boring residents, who by the way _can't_ cook.

She reopened her eyes as the heavy door opened and revealed her abductor and caretaker. He entered the room and shifted his gaze from her to the plate and furrowed his brow. If that was even possible. His appearance was so gloomy that she didn't think he could express any more negative emotions.

"Woman," He paused to approach her and pick up the plate "Why didn't you touch your meal." It was more like a statement then a question. Inoue looked away.

"I'm not hungry."

"Yes you are." He said. Her mouth fell slightly agape at his statement but decided to play a little longer with him.

"How do you know?" She muttered and watched him from the corner of her eyes.

"Woman, do you know when the last time was you've eaten?" Ulquiorra asked. Inoue was taken aback from his question. She didn't know. Certainly not yesterday, she was sure. The day before yesterday then? Her brow creased.

"I…don't remember." Inoue buried her face in her arm, hiding her embarrassment.

"_Exactly_. Now will you eat. Aizen-sama has ordered me to take you outside." He said. Inoue perked up.

"Outside?" She asked surprised. Ulquiorra gave her a stiff nod. She wasn't sure if she liked this or not. She would love to see the outside world again, but not the barren _sandbox_ of Hueco Mundo.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'd rather stay here-"

"If you don't go out on your own free will, I will force you. You are _ordered_ to go outside, woman. You can't refuse." Ulquiorra ssaid. Oh great. _That_ lightened her mood.

'Thank you very much for the inspiring, encouraging kind words, Ulquiorra. That'll really help. I will certainly enjoy going outside _now_.' Inoue thought bitterly. Her dull and lonely time spend in her cell really got to her. She rose up from the couch.

"Fine." She mumbled and waited for Ulquiorra to lead. But he didn't move. She eyed him and gave him a puzzled look. She then noticed the plate in his hand. Oh no.

"But you will eat first. If you like it or not, woman, your health is top priority." And with that he extended the plate to her. Inoue took it from him hesitantly, her fingers briefly brushing against his. She shuddered from his coldness and sunk on the couch. She grabbed her fork and rammed it angrily into the piece of meat. Ulquiorra watched her with what seemed slight amusement.

"Are you angry with me, woman?" He mused. Inoue chewed, swallowed and answered.

"No. It's just that I don't like this food," She said and held the wrinkled tomato up "And I'm not going to eat _this_ thing. It's rotten, Ulquiorra-san." Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes and took the tomato from her and took a large bite out of it. Inoue's eyes widened in surprise. The rich, vermillion colored juice rolled down his chin and hit the ground in small drops.

"No it's not." He said and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and stared intently at her. Inoue gave him a bewildered look. That was so bold and out of character. She'd never seen him act so blunt as this before. He took the plate out of her hand and held her gaze with his.

"Woman," He said and placed the tomato on the plate and turned on his heel "Come on." Inoue snapped out of her daze and quickly rose from the couch and followed Ulquiorra out of the door. They went by the kitchen to drop the plate off and then continued their little walk. The silence was deafening. Inoue had her gaze on the ground when she suddenly bumped into something soft and cold. She yelped in surprise.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, Ulquiorra-san! I wasn't paying attention." Inoue apologized and held her hands up in defense and smiled nervously.

"I noticed." Was Ulquiorra's dry response.

"Why did you stop anyway? Is something wrong?" Inoue asked. Ulquiorra watched her.

"It's nothing." He muttered and turned around and resumed the walk. Inoue blinked. Weird. She shrugged it off and trailed behind Ulquiorra without questioning it any further. She frowned and quickened her pace so she was right beside the stoic man, in case he might sop dead in his tracks again for unknown reasons. She quickly stole a glance at him and saw he had his eyes closed. He apparently knew where he was going. She now fully turned her attention on him. He was actually quite…beautiful. In his own menacing and dreaded way, of course. His smooth, pale futures were completely flawless. His lower lip was thin while his upper was full and black. He had a small and straight nose and his hair was thick and kind of messy, but that fit him. The teal, viridian tearmarks descended down his cheeks and ended at his jaw. She'd already seen his masculine chest and blushed a little at the thought. He also smelled nice: a bit like fresh grass, while his hair smelled like a damp forest. But the most intriguing thing about him were his eyes. If he wasn't so intimidating, she could stare for hours in his emerald orbs. His eyes reminded her of a forest: big but yet calm and vivid. Although he looked rather dull, his eyes were full of life. She wondered how that was possible. They also gave his feelings away, if he's feeling anything at all of course. If you hung around him for a long time, you could clearly see what was occurring behind those orbs. His eyes spoke. She liked that. Although she didn't like staring into them for a long time, like right now, because that- Oh.

"Woman, I doubt that I'm _that_ interesting to watch. Unless you're seeing something that bothers you, please stop watching me. I can't say I like being watched like that." Ulquiorra said monotone and Inoue slapped herself mentally. Stupid girl! Why had she been openly staring at him like that. He probably thought she was drooling all over him or something.

"Why were you staring at me?" His question caught Inoue off guard.

"Uhm…Well, I…You…Uhm…You're quite…Err…" She stuttered. Ulquiorra's brow creased.

"Menacing? Scary? ...Ugly?" He suggested and Inoue gasped.

"No! Quite the opposite in fact. You're just so…fascinating to watch, you know. I've never seen anyone like you. You're one of a kind." Inoue laughed half-heartedly as she said this. Of course Ulquiorra didn't laugh. Inoue's nervous laughter died off and she rubbed her head.

"I'm sorry. It wasn't my intention to watch you like that. I was…distracted." Inoue said with a sincere voice and inclined her head. Ulquiorra stepped closer and lifted her chin.

"Woman, you fascinate me too. You socialize openly with me as if I were a…'friend' of yours. I don't understand you. The things I read about humans and their behavior are completely different from yours. You're so light-hearted. Normal humans would scream and run away if they saw me and yet you…" Ulquiorra sai and lightly shook his head as if clearing his mind "Are you perhaps suffering from a thing called Stockholm Syndrome? I read about it. Though I find it highly likely that you harbour feelings for me, woman." He finished and Inoue watched him with big eyes. His cold touch sent shivers down her spine and she shuddered. She held his gaze and noticed it was almost…soft. Inoue blinked. Ulquiorra stared at her as if he was searching for something. Inoue blushed.

"I'm not having feelings for you, Ulquiorra-san. But I do care about you-"

"Would you weep if I died? Would you reach out to me? Would you try to save me?" Ulquiorra asked suddenly. Inoue's expression changed into one of surprise. She lowered her gaze for a second, before she reverted it.

"Yes. I would do all of them." Inoue murmered and stared at his expression. His eyes were wide and his mouth was slightly agape. She gently grabbed his wrist and he let go of her. She lifted his hand and placed hers against it. His fingers were slightly longer and thinner then hers. She intertwined hers with his. Ulquiorra stared at her.

"I'm not afraid of you." Inoue answered his silent question. She felt him tense and sighed. He then pulled his hand away from hers and turned his back on her.

"Come. I want to show you something." His voice held a soft undertone and Inoue nodded. They started walking again and Inoue placed a hand over her heart. What a strange day. She knew that her 'relationship' with Ulquiorra had changed since a couple of days, maybe even weeks, as they began realise that he just didn't understand and she was just curious. That may lead to tense but also intimate moments, like a minute ago. It was strange. She couldn't describe the thing they had with each other. It certainly didn't feel as 'hostility' but neither 'friendship' for that was to intimate.

A sudden cold wind swept her hair up and made her shiver, and Inoue noticed they were outside the palace. She inclined her head and watched the dull, thick layer of sand under boots.

"Woman." Ulquiorra called out to her and Inoue looked up and saw that he tilted his head and nodded once to the ground before him. The sand crunched under her boots as she walked over to where Ulquiorra had mentioned her to come. She halted beside him and gave him a brief glance before she averted her gaze to the ground. She gasped. There, sticking out of the pale sand, was a beautiful white Lily. Inoue sunk down on her knees and fingered one of the soft, fragile petals. It bend under her touch.

"It's beautiful," Inoue whispered and turned to look at Ulquiorra "How did it come here?"

"It grew, obviously." He said as a matter of fact. If he was someone else, he would've rolled his eyes. Inoue reverted her gaze on the bloomed flower.

"How can something so beautiful and fragile grow in a place like _this_?" She muttered and touched the stamen and retreated her with pollen covered finger.

"You may pick it, if you want. We have vases." Ulquiorra suggested. Inoue stared at the flower with tenderness.

"No. If I do, it will die." She said. Ulquiorra watched her closely. Inoue yelped when his shoulder brushed hers as he sat down beside her. He took one of the petals between his forefinger and thumb. He immediately retreated his hand as if the flower had burned him.

"How come you care for such a thing as a flower?" He asked. Inoue blinked and inhaled long and deep.

"Because it's _alive_, Ulquiorra-san." She explained. He turned his head and met her eyes. This time her eyes did not waver as he held her gaze. He eventually broke the eye contact and rose up.

"Come. Let's go for a walk." He said and closed his eyes and started to walk. Inoue rose and gave the Lily one last glance before she ran to Ulquiorra's side.

"Why did you show me that?" Inoue asked. Ulquiorra opened his vibrant orbs.

"Because it reminded me of you. You're surrounded with pale- and dullness, and yet you manage to live through it and bloom, like the flower." He said and stared at her from the corner of his eyes. Inoue bit her lower lip.

"Did I say something funny?" He asked as his brow creased. Inoue shook her head.

"No, it's just that," She whipped her head up and smiled "You're actually quite poetic," Her smile became more soft "I'm starting to like you, Ulquiorra-san" Inoue almost whispered and Ulquiorra halted and watched her, dumbstruck for once in his life. He then grunted silently and resumed his pace. Inoue giggled softly as she watched his expression: His mouth was in a tight line and he had his eyes half closed. He looked insulted, but Inoue knew better then that.

"Let's head back." Ulquiorra quickly recovered and reverted to his normal, boring composure. Inoue smiled and nodded.

Inoue lowered herself on the comfy sofa when they were back and sighed. Ulquiorra stood in the doorway, his head slightly inclined and his eyes closed. For a short moment Inoue thought he was asleep.

"Ulquiorra-san?" Inoue called out. He tilted his head and opened his eyes.

"Can we do this again sometime? I liked it." Inoue mumbled as she lay down and closed her eyes. Ulquiorra didn't answer and stepped closer. Inoue felt a soft pull at her hair and looked up. Ulquiorra had a strand of her hair between his thumb and forefinger. His thumb grazed over the fiery colored strand of hair.

"We'll see." He murmured and with that he left. Inoue blinked. What did he just do? She smiled softly.

"Thanks." She mumbled before she fell asleep.

The next morning when she awoke, a beautiful, pale Lily rested in a transparent vase on the table.


	4. I Care About Us

**Well, here's Chapter 4 :D Have fun reading!  
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**Chapter Four: I Care About Us **

"No Ulquiorra-san! You need to pour the gravy over that _after_ it's cooked!" Inoue shrieked and rushed to said persons side and grabbed the bowl with gravy out of his hand and set it on the countertop. Ulquiorra sighed softly and pocketed his hands.

"I really appreciate your help, Ulquiorra-san, but I don't think I need it anymore." Inoue said and gave him a pleading look and resumed cooking. Ulquiorra closed his eyes and leaned against the countertop. Since Inoue has become fussy about her food that she got from the _professional _cook, Ulquiorra had suggested that she'd cook her own food, if Aizen gave his approval of course. And he did. His musing was interrupted when the sound of metal on marble echoed throughout the kitchen. He whipped his head into Inoue's direction. A couple of forks, knifes and pots lay on the ground. He shifted his gaze to the clumsy woman before him.

"Woman, wha-" The door of the kitchen flew open and a particular blue haired Espada entered the kitchen with Nnoitra on his heel.

"I swear to you, fuckin' Nnoitra, that I didn't steal your frickin' dirty laundry. Harribel probably took it since it was her damn turn to do the laundry. Anyway, what do I need with your laundry huh? Put it over my head or somethin'? Now will ya shut up?" The clearly annoyed Espada growled and balled his fists. Then his eyes landed on Inoue and Ulquiorra and he smirked.

"Sheesh, you don't have to get all worked up, Grimmjow-baka. I only asked you if you took my clothes. You- huh? Well, well…What do we have here? How's it going, Pet-sama?" Nnoitra flashed his usual ear-to-ear grin and smacked Ulquiorra on the back. "Not so gloomy, Schiffer!" He laughed. Ulquiorra turned his head at the big Espada and gave him his death glare. Inoue clasped her hands in front of her chest. It was actually pretty scary to see the Espada fight because they never held back and they were pretty strong.

Ulquiorra kicked the taller Espada in the stomach and sent him flying across the small room. Nnoitra burst through the kitchen wall and disappeared out of sight because all the dust covered the view.

"That wasn't very nice, Cuatro." Grimmjow tsked and set his gaze on Inoue.

"What'cha doin' anyway?" He asked. Inoue bit her lower lip and fumbled with her sleeve.

"Uhm…We were cooking." She muttered. Grimmjow's brow raised as he shifted his gaze towards the green-eyed man beside him.

"_You_ were cooking?" He snarled. Ulquiorra growled and Grimmjow blinked, before he burst out laughing. At that moment Nnoitra reappeared, rubbing his hurt stomach.

"Jesus, Schiffer! What the hell was that for!" He yelled angrily. Grimmjow laughter died and he rolled his eyes.

"Calm down, pansy pants. You deserved it. Anyway, let's go. 'S pretty borin' here." Grimmjow said and flashed Inoue a grin before he turned and walked through the door. However, Nnoitra didn't leave. He stepped closer and placed his hand on the wall beside Inoue's head and towered over her. Inoue gasped and backed further against the wall.

"Oi, Pet-sama. If you're still in for some fun you can a always come to me. I mean, Schiffer must be pretty boring, right?" Nnoitra said huskily and flashed his trademark grin to her. Inoue averted her gaze from his eye and shot Ulquiorra a nervous glance.

"Uhm…Uh…No thanks, Nnoitra-san." Inoue mumbled. Nnoitra's brow raised and he raised his hand.

"I'm afraid I can't accept a 'no', Pet-sama." His hand drew closer to her breast and a blush crept on Inoue's face. She closed her eyes tight shut and prayed he would stop or just suffer a sudden death. She wished for both to happen. She felt something touch her breath and she inhaled sharply. The touch lasted for less then a second though.

"What the hell-" Nnoitra turned his head and glared at the Cuatro Espada holding is wrist.

"You're overstepping your bounds, Nnoitra." Ulquiorra rolled the 'r' of his name.

"Ah!" Nnoitra screamed as Ulquiorra bended his wrist till his knuckles touched his forearm. A sickening crack emitted from his wrist. Nnoitra tried to wriggle free, making it only worse.

"Let go of me, you bastard!" He yelled and tried to punch Ulquiorra with his other hand. Ulquiorra catched it easily.

"Remember your place, _Quinta_." Ulquiorra said acidly. Nnoitra's eye widened and he grunted. Ulquiorra released his firm grip on his wrist and closed his eyes. Nnoitra shot Inoue a glare before he turned on his heel and stormed out of the kitchen. An uncomfortable silence followed. Inoue bit her lower lip and bend down to pick the pots and cutlery up. She put them away and turned to Ulquiorra.

"Thank you." She whispered, still a bit shocked. She had been harassed before by men lusting for her well curved body, but in a way it was more scarier if an Arrancar touched her like that. She'd never liked her well formed body because of this.

After Ulquiorra'd returned Inoue to her cell, he lingered for a bit longer. She sat on the sofa, holding the Lily he'd picked for her a couple of days ago, softly fingering the pale petals. At first she wasn't so happy about that he'd picked it. She was certain that it wouldn't last for a day. But it was still as brilliant as it was when she saw it the first time, except that it was slightly colored brown at the edges of the petals. Inoue smiled and tilted her head to ask Ulquiorra why he'd done it when she caught an unfamiliar sight. Ulquiorra sat on the other side of the sofa, as far away from her as possible of course, with his eyes closed. His hand supported his head and his breathing was soft and rhythmic. Inoue blinked. No way.

She scooted a little closer to him, but he didn't react. She then seated herself beside him, placed an arm beside his leg on the other side and bend her head so that she could see past the curtain of hair and peek at his face. His mouth was tight shut, just like his eyes. Definitely asleep. Inoue smiled to herself. He looked rather innocent like this. Some of his hair had fallen in his face. She brushed some strands away and gasped when he stirred for a second. Inoue held her breath, but let it go as soon as she noticed that he hadn't awoken.

She reached out a trembling finger and placed it just under his eye, on his tearmark. She let it trail along the teal line and ended at his jaw. She swallowed visibly and tried to get into a more comfortable position. Her arm was getting stiff from the uncomfortable position and she moved as quietly as she could as she tried to assume a different position. Luck wasn't on her side today.

Her arm slipped and she fell into Ulquiorra's lap on her side. She stiffened and glanced up at Ulquiorra's serene face. Inoue exhaled. Seems like Ulquiorra's a deep sleeper. Inoue swallowed the thick lump in her throat and blushed. Her nose was pressed into his waist and one of her hands rested on his upper leg. The scent of detergent burned through her nostrils and her blush darkened. Why in the world was this happening to _her_?

His rhythmic breathing was making her drowsy and she yawned. She actually felt pretty comfortable. She'd expected him to be freezing cold, just like his hands, but he wasn't _that_ cold. Her lids became heavy and started to droop. She sighed and buried her face more into his clothes. The thought of Ulquiorra waking up with her in his lap made her chuckle silently. How would he react? He would probably just shove her of. Inoue pouted at the thought. She yawned again and closed her eyes. Darkness overtook her.

Ulquiorra watched Inoue sleep in his lap and wondered if this was wrong. Why would _he_ let _her_ sleep in _his_ lap? She'd buried her face into his waist, which annoyed him because that spot on his skin was practically burning from the heat of her breath. One of her hands also rested on his upper leg, to close to his manhood. Ulquiorra snorted softly. He studied her face and reached out his hand. He lightly touched her cheek and let his finger descend from her cheek to her jaw and then to her neck. He withdrew his hand and grabbed a strand of hair. It was soft and silky. Ulquiorra didn't know why, but he liked her hair. He actually liked something. He blinked. It was so bright and fiery. It was like bright fire that never extinguished. The hairs slipped from his fingers and fell into Inoue's face.

"Ulquiorra-san?" Inoue's voice was still filled with sleep. She rubbed her eyes and opened them halfway. Ulquiorra was silent for a moment before he spoke.

"Why are you sleeping on me? Do I look that comfortable?" There was a slight undertone of mockery in his voice and Inoue's eyes widened. She'd totally forgotten that she'd fallen asleep in his lap.

"Oh! Err…No…Yes, no…I mean...Well, my arm slipped and I fell and ended up on you and thought you were pretty comfy and I was starting to feel sleepy so I thought that taking a little nap wouldn't hurt so I fell asleep but if it bothered you I'm so sorry I will never do it again Oh and I also touched your face and no I wasn't molesting you so I hope you don't mind I was just curious I'm so so sorry I will never do it again!" The last part came out so fast that Ulquiorra first didn't comprehend and had to repeat the sentence all over in his mind, slowly.

"You touched me?" He asked. Inoue blushed and averted her eyes.

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't apologize. I did the same." He said truthfully. Inoue blinked and reverted her orbs on Ulquiorra. She then smiled.

"You did?" She said smiling. Ulquiorra watched her through half lidded eyes.

"Yes. Are you uncomfortable with the fact I did so?" Inoue laughed softly.

"No. I actually find it a bit soothing, you know why?" Inoue asked and Ulquiorra shook his head "Because I first thought that you despised me and that you would keep your distance. That saddened me because I was so lonely and wanted someone to talk to, to socialize with. I knew you weren't the right person for that, but look where we are now. We talk and socialize, and even touch. I'm really glad we do. I know you feel nothing for it, but let's just try and keep this up, please? It's my only salvation for not falling into darkness and becoming a depressive mess, so please? And I know that you're going to tell me now that we don't live in a fairytale, but this isn't about funky bedtime stories, this is about me. About us." Inoue whispered and looked up at him with a softness that Ulquiorra hadn't seen before.

"Woman," He started and removed the strand of hair out of her face "I never said that I would break all contacts with you. It's my job to take care of you. But if you want this, and if this keeps you sane, then we will keep this up," Inoue smiled and was ready to hug him when he stopped her "On one condition: Not to much touching. I'm not familiar with it, and I don't find it very…pleasant." He said and Inoue nodded and smiled. She knew he'd put it mildly so he wouldn't hurt her feelings.

"Thanks."

"Now will you please get up? My legs are going numb." Ulquirro grunted and Inoue laughed light-heartedly and got up. Ulquiorra rose as well and headed towards the door. He opened it and turned around.

"Woman, I will pick you up tomorrow morning for an important meeting with Aizen-sama. Be ready then, Aizen-sama doesn't like latecomers." And with that Ulquiorra left.

"Hai." Inoue stared at the Lily and smiled.


	5. A Meeting With A Strange Twist

**Chapter 5's up :) Thanks again for the favs and reviews! I was ill a week ago and need to catch up with school so posting might slow down now for some time. Sorry, but that's life! This chap isn't the best one, if I say so myself. Next will be better D:**

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**Chapter Five: A Meeting With A Strange Twist**

Inoue hastily put on her dress and boots and grabbed her hairpins from the table. She was late. Ulquiorra'd clearly told her that she needed to get up in time for a meeting with Aizen-sama. She accidentally put the right boot on her left foot and she sighed. Then the door opened and Inoue looked up.

"I thought I told you to be ready on time, woman." The stoic man said icily. Inoue swallowed and quickly put her boot on the right foot and jumped up from the couch and rushed past Ulquiorra into the hallway, mumbling an apology. She thought she saw that the corners of his lips twitched up in a small smile of amusement but brushed it off.

"Woman," Ulquiorra started and Inoue heard a static and heavy sound and turned around to see Ulquiorra standing behind her "Aren't you forgetting something?" He asked. Inoue frowned and then spotted something shiny in his hand.

"My hairpin! Thank you." She said. In all her haste she'd forgotten one of the two hairpins. She took it, her fingers briefly brushing over his palm, and put the hairpin in her hair. It slipped and fell. Ulquiorra catched it and held it up. She wanted to take it but Ulquiorra ignored her and brushed some strands of hair behind her ear and put the pin on its place. Inoue blinked.

"Thanks." Inoue smiled. Ulquiorra held her gaze before he turned on his heel.

On their way towards the meeting room they encountered some other Espada who joined their walk.

"Grimmjow, I suggest you stop poking me unless you want to lose your arm. _Again_." Ulquiorra said acidly. Grimmjow snorted at the green-eyed man's bad mood and turned to Inoue. He winked at her and grinned. Inoue blushed and turned her head. Grimmjow laughed and put an arm around her shoulder.

"C'mon girl, don't be shy! I don't bite. Unless you want me to." Grimmjow said huskily. Inoue blushed a darker shade of red and shook her head. Grimmjow bored his gaze into the Cuatro's back.

"_Bat_man bit you, didn't he? Damn, must be freakin' painful. Oi, Ulquiorra, show me those pointy teeth of ya, bastard!" Grimmjow mocked and Inoue blinked.

"Batman?" She mused. Grimmjow blinked.

"You've never seen his Release form? Damn, girl, what've you been doin' all this time? Oi, Schiffer, show her ya-"

"No. Shut up, Sexta, or I'll kill you." Ulquiorra warned. Grimmjow laughed.

"No, you shut up or I'll kill _you_-"

"Both of you shut up, or I kill you _both_. You guys are giving me a headache." Inoue whipped her head to the other side and was surprised to see that the owner of the voice was a female Espada, whom was standing beside her. Her skin was a darker shade and her hair was blond. Everything beneath her eyes was covered with the high collar of her outfit. But unlike her face, her breasts were barely covered. She wore the same hakama as all the other Espada. The Espada noticed her watching her and Inoue quickly averted her eyes.

"I'm Tia Harribel, Tres Espada. You can call me Bel." She said. Inoue blinked at the formality and bowed quickly. Tres Espada. So she was stronger then Ulquiorra. Inoue stared at his back. She couldn't imagine a woman being stronger then him.

"Um…Bel-san? You said you were Tres Espada, right?" Inoue asked.

"That's right," She confirmed and saw that Inoue shot a glance at Ulquiorra and Harribel chuckled "I'm stronger then your emotionless abductor. Unthinkable, right?" She said, smirking. Inoue nodded.

"He just looks stronger because he's a man and he's menacing and emotionless. That's what makes him strong." Harribel snorted. Inoue nodded again and tried to process the information.

"It's impolite to talk about others behind their back. Stop gossiping like two old worn woman." Ulquiorra said, never turning his head. Harribel snorted and narrowed her eyes.

"Oh shut up, statue," She spat and then turned to back to Inoue "How do you manage to be around him like that? He's impossible, I swear." Harribel crossed her arms over her chest and huffed.

"He's not that bad." Inoue whispered and smiled a little.

"Heh, Schiffer, how does it feels to be the center of attention." Nnoitra said and grinned but Ulquiorra ignored him. Nnoitra scowled and bend to whisper something in Grimmjow's ear. He laughed and nodded.

"You know, Nnoitra? I think Ulquiorra might be, ya know, gay." Grimmjow said. Ulquiorra stiffened.

"What makes you think that, Jaegerjaquez?" Nnoitra asked in a sanctimonious voice.

"Well, there're two hot girls right behind him, talking about him, and he doesn't even look up." Grimmjow said and Harribel growled at the remark.

"Hey yeah, you're right, Jaegerjaquez." Nnoitra laughed. Ulquiorra turned around and glared at the two Espada.

"Stop it. You're annoying." Ulquiorra said. Grimmjow and Nnoitra laughed. Inoue felt a pang of pity go through her. Why did they always pester Ulquiorra? Was it because he didn't care?

"Denial is like admitting." Grimmjow snorted and Nnoitra laughed. Inoue clenched her hands into fists.

"Stop it." She whispered. Nnoitra, Grimmjow and Ulquiorra turned around and watched her.

"What did she say?" Nnoitra asked and blinked. Inoue swallowed thickly.

"Stop it. Why do you always pick on him? It's not fair-"

"We're here." Ulquiorra announced and opened a big door. He let all the Espada enter first and turned to Inoue.

"Why did you defend me?" He asked. Inoue bit her lower lip and fumbled with the fabric of her dress.

"Because I hate to see them pestering you. You don't deserve it." Inoue muttered. Ulquiorra was about to say something when his name was called.

"Woman, come. Aizen-sama's waiting." Ulquiorra said. Inoue nodded and followed him into the room. There were no windows or doors that led to other rooms. A big table was placed into the center of the room. At the head of the table sat Aizen. At his right were Grimmjow, a dark skinned man, a pink-haired guy, an old man and Yammy. At his left was an empty seat and Inoue considered it to be Ulquiorra's. Beside that seat was a sleeping man, Nnoitra, Harribel and someone with instead of a head a capsule. Inoue blinked. This were all the Espada? No more?

"There are ten Espada. The ranks go from 1 to 10." Ulquiorra answered her silent question and took his seat. Inoue nodded and lowered her gaze. She was pretty nervous. Now that Ulquiorra was seated down she was the only one standing. She felt everyone watching her and someone even whistled. Probably Nnoitra.

"Ah, Inoue Orihime, here you are. Come closer." Aizen mentioned for her.

"Hai." She walked up to Aizen's side and rubbed her upper arm. Gin came walking up with an extra chair and placed it between Ulquiorra and Aizen. Inoue sat down stiffly and silently thanked the Hollow that gave her a cup of tea. She enclosed her hands around the cup and blew the steam away.

"How do you like your stay here so far? I hope my Espada are nice to you, Inoue." Aizen asked and rested his head in his hand and smirked. Inoue took a small sip from the tea and looked up.

"I see no one except for Ulquiorra-san." She stated softly. Aizen's gaze shifted to Ulquiorra.

"True. Inoue, does he treats you well? I hope he does. I wouldn't like to punish my favourite Espada. That would be a shame." Aizen said, smirking. Inoue stiffened and glanced sideways at her caretaker who opened his eyes and stared right back. Inoue took a deep breath and shifted her gaze back to Aizen. Wrong thing to do. By looking in his eyes she felt a pressure so big that she couldn't help but tell the truth.

"He does now. At first he would come and tell me my friends were dead. And he would threaten me that he would force me to eat if I didn't do it myself. It scared me. But not anymore." Inoue took another sip of her tea when she was done and glanced at Grimmjow.

"So ya scared her big time, didn't ya, _Batman_." He snickered. Ulquiorra glared at Grimmjow.

"I thought I told you not to call me that, _Furball_." Ulquiorra countered. Grimmjow growled and was ready to lash out when Aizen stopped him.

"Now, now, children. No fighting," Aizen said and turned his attention on Ulquiorra "So you didn't treat her the way I told you to do, _Ulquiorra_?" He said. Inoue saw Ulquiorra stiffen in his chair.

"I beg you my deepest apologies, Aizen-sama. I wasn't familiar with the human emotions that time." Ulquiorra apologized and bowed his head. Aizen mentioned for him to come and Ulquiorra rose from his chair and knelt down besides Aizen's. Inoue watched the scene with big eyes. Was Aizen going to punish him? Aizen stretched his arm out and lifted Ulquiorra's chin.

"Ulquiorra, you know that you're my most favourite Espada," Aizen began and shot a glance at Inoue "But you know I can't let you go unpunished with this." He said. Ulquiorra stood up and bowed.

"Of course not, Aizen-sama." He said. Aizen smirked and released his reiatsu on him. A sound of surprise left Ulquiorra's mouth as the tremendous reiatsu hit him. His knees started to buckle and he eventually fell on the ground. Everyone watched dumbstruck as Aizen teached his favourite Espada a lesson. Never had he punished Ulquiorra before for bad behaviour or rebellion actions.

Inoue clasped a hand over her mouth as Ulquiorra sank to the ground, panting heavily. He didn't deserve this. Besides, they already made it up with each other. She watched Ulquiorra clench his teeth and remembered something he'd said sometime ago.

"_We don't serve Aizen-sama because we like the idea of the disappearance of Soul Society. We serve him out of fear, fear for his strength."_

Inoue gulped. She hadn't understood what he meant that time. She'd thought that all the Espada could easily take Aizen on if they wanted to. Oh, how she was wrong. Watching Ulquiorra being hurt like this made her realise that Aizen was far more powerful then she'd thought.

Ulquiorra's breath was knocked out of him and Inoue's stomach twisted and turned. This needed to stop.

"Stop! Please stop!" The words left her mouth before she could think twice and Aizen stared at her. The heavy reiatsu disappeared and Ulquiorra inhaled deep and placed his hands on his knees to support himself and panted. A bead of sweat rolled over his face and Inoue sighed.

"Oh?" Aizen raised a perfect brow "What's this? Care to explain, Inoue?" He said smugly. Inoue bit her lip and watched Ulquiorra pant through her eyelashes.

"Please don't hurt him, he doesn't deserve this. Besides, we already made it up with each other. He won't hurt me." Inoue almost whispered. Aizen smiled.

"Ulquiorra, you may return to your seat." Said person rose up and returned back to his seat still slightly panting, and closed his eyes. Inoue watched him with sad eyes. This was her fault. Some Espada were watching her cautiously and whispered some things into each others ears.

"Now pay attention please, children. The reason why I called for a meeting is because," Aizen paused for a second and the whispering died off "Is because the Ryoka have invaded Hueco Mundo again. Gin, turn on the projector, please."

"Aye aye, sir!" Gin said. A hole opened up in the middle of the table and a bright, greenish light emitted from it. An animation of some people came into view and Inoue gasped.

"The ones that have invaded Hueco Mundo again are Abarai Renji, Uryū Ishida and Kurosaki Ichigo. It seems that Kurosaki Ichigo has recovered from his wounds from his battle with Ulquiorra. We all need to be cautious. It seems that we underestimated them last time hence they'd come so far. Ulquiorra, you will be put off of your job to protect Las Noches from any harm and will keep an eye on Inoue 24/7. Grimmjow, Nnoitra and Szayel will fight the Ryoka and keep them as far away as possible from Las Noches. Am I clear?" Aizen said. Everyone nodded.

Inoue could only watch the projector, showing her friends dashing across the plain sands of Hueco Mundo. They were coming for her again. She felt happy but at the same time very scared. What if they would die? She knew that the Espada would give their best now.

"Aizen-sama, why did the woman need to attend the meeting?" Ulquiorra's question interrupted Inoue's thoughts and she looked up at the black-haired man beside her.

"Because I thought that it would be important for her to know who've come for her. Right, Inoue?" Aizen asked and extended his hand and caressed Inoue's cheek. All lies. He wanted her to suffer. He wanted her to be desperate and be in pain. He wanted her to see her friends die.

"H-Hai. I'm glad that I know now." She lied. The corner of Aizen's mouth tilted up and he rose from his chair.

"Very well. Everyone's dismissed. Rest well, my children. A long and hard fight may be waiting for some of you." Aizen said and all the Espada rose from their seats, bowed and sonidoed out of the room. Only Ulquiorra remained with Inoue and Aizen.

"Ah, Inoue. One more question," Aizen started and Inoue looked up "Do you enjoy your room?" He questioned and Inoue frowned.

"Actually…No. It's really plain and there's no tv nor books to read." Inoue explained and Aizen pinched the bridge of his nose as if he was deep in thought.

"I thought so. I will let someone rearrange your room. Until then," Aizen shifted his eyes to Ulquiorra "You can stay in Ulquiorra's room, if that's fine with him of course. Ulquiorra?" Aizen said with an evil smirk. Inoue gasped softly and turned to the Espada. He didn't seem to be bothered by the idea.

"Of course not, Aizen-sama. Come, woman. I'll bring you to my room." Ulquiorra said. Inoue bowed to Aizen and skipped after Ulquiorra who'd already left the room. Gin came walking up behind the powerful man.

"Hm…Ain't that a bad idea?" He asked, frowning slightly. Aizen closed his eyes and turned on his heel.

"Bad? I think it's going to be rather…interesting. Gin, turn the projector off. We're leaving."

* * *

Inoue frowned as she trailed behind Ulquiorra, deep in thought. Her friends were coming for her again. But this time only three of them. Why three? Why don't call for backup from whole Soul Society? Then victory would be guaranteed.

Inoue didn't notice that Ulquiorra had slowed his pace and stepped on his heel. He stumbled slightly but quickly regained his composure.

"Woman, watch were you're going." He warned. Inoue nodded.

"Ulquiorra-san! About earlier…I'm really sorry. I mean if I would have lied it would have never happened." Inoue said, feeling guilty, and grabbed his arm, preventing him from walking away. He glared lightly at her.

"Woman, why are you apologizing? It wasn't your fault. You told Aizen-sama the truth and I deserved my punishment. I would have done the same if I were you." Ulquiorra said stern. Inoue's lower lip quivered.

"O-Oh…Alright." She mumbled. She hung her head and fought back the tears. She couldn't help it. She didn't want to be a burden anymore. She wanted to help people. People like Ulquiorra.

"We're here." Ulquiorra said and Inoue tilted her head as Ulquiorra opened a stark white door. They stepped inside the room and Ulquiorra switched the lights on.

"Oh." Inoue's jaw hit the floor. The room was large. The walls were white, just like the floor. A dresser stood in the corner of the room next to a door. On the other side of the room was a king-sized bed with a nightstand beside it. She'd already assumed that there wouldn't be many furniture and it would be simple. Just like Ulquiorra. She entered the room and headed straight towards the bed. She fingered the silky fabric of the blanket and sat down. The bed shifted under her weight and Inoue sighed contently. Finally a nice bed to sleep in. She'd missed her own bed when she first came her. Then something hit her.

"Where do you sleep?" She asked. Ulquiorra looked at her as if she'd just grown another head.

"In the bed." He frowned. Inoue's brow creased.

"But where do I sleep then?" She asked as her brow furrowed. Ulquiorra walked to her and glared.

"Woman, I'm certain that they have beds in your world. You sleep _in_ beds. Where else? Now stop asking these ignorant questions." Ulquiorra said annoyed. Inoue pouted and looked away.

"So we share the bed?" She muttered.

"Of course. Unless you want to sleep on the ground." He suggested. Inoue blushed.

"No!"

"Then what's troubling you, woman?" Ulquiorra asked and sat down on the bed too.

"Well…Uhm…Normally when two people share a bed they're…ah…a couple…you see?" Inoue murmured under her breath. Ulquiorra watched her.

"So? We're not. We're sharing the bed because we have to. That's final. Now go to sleep." Ulquiorra said as a final. He rose and headed towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Inoue asked and she clutched the sheets beneath her.

"Stroll." He answered simply and left. Inoue sighed. She then remembered something. She stood up from the bed and walked to the door beside the dresser. She placed her hand around the doorknob and gulped. What if Ulquiorra kept something really scary and ominous in there? Like a bloodthirsty vampire or a serial killer? Inoue shrieked and released her hold on the knob. She held her heart and inhaled.

"Ok. No big deal. There are no such things as vampires or serial killers in this place. Just relax." She encouraged herself and slowly cracked the door open. She searched the light switch with her other hand and flipped it on. Inoue's eyes widened and she fully opened the door.

"Bathroom?" She slurred, surprised, and walked inside. She spotted the shower in the corner of the room and smiled. Oh how she longed for a nice shower. She undressed herself and placed her clothes on the bed, found a towel and was about to enter the shower when she saw something from the corner of her eyes. A bath. Inoue's smile grew wider and she turned the warm water on. She let some cold water into the tub and closed the faucet. She stepped into the tub and sank down.

"Aahh…This is nice." She whispered. She dipped the back of her head into the water and closed her eyes. The warm water clouded her thoughts and she let her mind wander. She thought about her stay in Las Noches, about Ulquiorra, about Karakura, about school but mostly about her friends. She slowly opened her eyes. Would they be alright? Inoue bit her lip. She felt useless. They were risking their lives to rescue her and she was sitting here in the enemy's bathtub, doing nothing. But what could she do? She was weak. Her eyes watered and she rubbed them. No. She wouldn't cry. That was the last thing she would do. She needed to be strong. Not only physically but mentally too. Inoue sighed shakily and rose from the tub. She pulled the stopper out of the tub and the water flowed away. She wrapped the towel around her wet body and left the bathroom. She closed her eyes and ran a hand through her wet locks.

"…Woman?" A startled voice called. Inoue froze in shock and opened her eyes. The owner of the voice stood before the bed, his slightly shocked gaze shifting from her neat folded clothes to her body. Inoue blushed, screamed and ran back into the bathroom and slammed the door shut. She panted heavily and clutched the towel around her tightly.

"Oh my God." She whispered. Her heart thumped in her ears. She'd never expected him to be here. She hit her forehead with the palm of her hand. Her clothes were still on the bed.

"Woman?" The voice startled her and she yelped.

"W-What?" She stuttered. The door slowly opened and revealed Ulquiorra's left side.

"Your clothes." He muttered. Inoue heard some ruffling of clothes and saw that Ulquiorra threw them on the tiles.

"T-Thanks." Inoue mumbled. The door shut and Inoue expelled a heavy sigh. She quickly dressed, turned the lights off and opened the door. The room was dark and she saw the Espada resting on the bed with his back to her. Inoue closed the door of the bathroom and tiptoed to the other side of the bed. She looked at his face and shrieked. He stared at her.

"What?" He asked dryly.

"I didn't know you were awake. I'm sorry." Inoue said and closed her eyes. How many times did something or someone freak her out today? Ulquiorra grunted.

"Go to bed." He ordered. Inoue gave him a nod and she slid under the covers.

"Goodnight." She whispered. She waited for a reply but nothing came. Of course. Inoue's eyelids drooped and she was about to slip into a deep slumber when a low grunt made her smile.

"Night." Ulquiorra said gruffly.


	6. Another Place With The Same Sand

**Sorry for the long wait, but chapter 6 is ready :D I'm really, really busy lately (with school D:) so I have little time to work on fics D: I'll do what I can. I have a test week next week, so I have to prepare for that. Whish me luck D:  
**

* * *

**Chapter Six: Another Place With The Same Sand**

"_Inoue, will you marry me?"_

_Inoue gasped as she stared at the man on one knee before her. He held up a beautiful ring and stared at her with pleading eyes. She tried to think of a reply but her mind went completely blank. Of course she wanted to marry him. She'd loved him her whole life. She'd hoped, cried and laughed for this man. They would have children: a boy and a girl, and live happily ever after. She and Ichigo would be the perfect husband and wife. _

_Inoue tried to speak but couldn't. She then spotted something from the corner of her eye and saw two people behind the proposing man. A woman and a man. Inoue and…_

_Ulquiorra._

_Inoue blinked as she stared at herself. She wore a wedding dress and her hand was intertwined with Ulquiorra's. She smiled and kissed Ulquiorra whom grunted softly. Then the couple faded. _

_Inoue understood now. That was her future self. She stared back at Ichigo again and saw his appearance had changed. His hair had changed into a midnight black and reached his neck. His eyes were larger and a piercing green, with tear-marks descending from them. _

"_Woman, will you marry me?" He asked and took her hand in his cold one. Inoue's eyes grew wide. What? What was he saying? She tried to think of a reply but her mind went completely blank. Of course she didn't want to marry him. She hadn't loved him her whole life. She'd never hoped, cried nor laughed for this man. They would never have children: not a boy nor a girl, and wouldn't live happily ever after. She and Ulquiorra could never be a perfect couple._

_That's what she thought. _

"_Yes. Yes I will marry you." She whispered. He placed the ring on her finger and she threw her arms around his cold body and cried. _

_Were those tears of happiness…or regret? _

_She did not know. She didn't know why she complied to his proposal. Her mind and body weren't under her control anymore. But perhaps they were doing what was best for her? But how could getting married to Ulquiorra be better then to Ichigo? She tried to think about Ichigo and her together, but the image wouldn't come. Just like the butterflies in her stomach. What was happing to her? Didn't she love Ichigo anymore? Did…Did she love…Ulquiorra? She felt her heart leap at the thought of him. Oh no…_

_Ulquiorra lifted her chin and placed his lips on hers. Inoue closed her eyes and parted her lips. Ulquiorra took this chance and slid his tongue inside her mouth. His hands played with her hair while Inoue desperately clinged to the man. _

_This was wrong. She'd accepted the enemy's proposal and she was making out with him. She struggled to gain control over her body and placed her hands on his chest and tried to push him away._

"_No…Stop…Please…" She begged but Ulquiorra didn't budge. His hands untangled themselves from her hair and went to her breasts. _

"_Stop…Stop…Stop!"_

"Please stop!" Inoue screamed. Her eyes flew open and she shot up. The blanket slipped from her upper body and fell to her thighs. Inoue placed a hand on her heart and let a ragged sigh escape past her lips.

"Just a dream." She muttered. She stared at her hand, but found no ring. A pale hand suddenly got hold of hers and Inoue shrieked.

"Is something wrong with your hand, woman? And why did you scream?"

Inoue stared at Ulquiorra. She'd completely forgotten that he slept beside her. That she slept in his room. Inoue blushed furiously as she remembered her dream and tried to scoot away from him, but he pulled her back. They were close. Too close.

"Well?" He asked. Inoue gulped and she shifted nervously. Her bare foot touched his' in the progress and she jerked away from him. Ulquiorra's body tensed and he averted his eyes for a split second. Inoue thought she saw a sign of nervousness is his eyes. So he was just as uncomfortable as she was.

"It was nothing." Inoue whispered. Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed and he let go of her hand.

"No one screams for nothing, woman. That's ridiculous. Don't lie to me." Ulquiorra said. Inoue lowered her gaze and clutched the sheets.

"I had a bad dream." She muttered and laid back down. She felt Ulquiorra watching her and she turned her back on him.

"About what?" Ulquiorra asked silently. Inoue blinked. He never showed any interest in her or her stories. Why would he be now? Inoue swallowed thickly. Lying would be hopeless.

"About getting married." She told him.

"What is so bad about that? I read you humans marry another out of…this thing called 'love'. I thought marriage is a happy thing." Ulquiorra pondered out loud.

"Not if you marry the wrong person." Inoue said softly, feeling his eyes on her back. She pulled the sheets over her body and closed her eyes. It felt as if he could see right past the sheets and her clothes. She felt naked to his eyes.

"Who was this 'wrong person' in your dream then?" Ulquiorra questioned. Inoue bit her lip and pulled the sheets over her head.

"You don't know him." Inoue lied. It was silent for a moment before Ulquiorra snorted softly and the bed shifted.

"Don't wake me up again, woman." He warned her.

"Sorry." Inoue apologized and buried her face in the pillow. It smelled like Ulquiorra. Lately everything in Hueco Mundo reminded her of him, but strangely enough she wasn't freaked out by it. She actually kind of liked it. She would never admit it out loud, but it was Ulquiorra that kept her sane. His calm and patience had affected her. She'd noticed that she has become more quiet and more thoughtful. It sounded crazy, but maybe this was a good experience. The silence and emptiness had given her time to think. Think about her life and the mistakes she made. She first thought of coming to Hueco Mundo as a mistake but not anymore.

Inoue turned and stared at Ulquiorra whom was faced towards her. His breathing was rhythmic and soft. Inoue giggled inwardly. She'd thought at first that Hollows didn't require sleep. But of coarse they do. They're sort of human after all. That also amazed Inoue: How much the Espada resembled to the human race. They knew several languages, almost looked the same and had feelings too. Of course there were differences too. They're merciless, uncaring and rebellious. Even Ulquiorra, although he may did not notice himself. He fought with Grimmjow and threatened her, neglecting Aizen's orders. He couldn't help it.

"You're Hollow after all." Inoue whispered as she reached out to Ulquiorra and stroked his cheek. It was cold, but soft. Just like the petals from the Lily in her room.

"Oh no…" Inoue muttered and clasped a hand in front of her mouth. The Lily. She'd completely forgotten about the poor thing. It was still in her room on the table. It had probably withered by now. She shifted her hand from Ulquiorra's cheek to his shoulder and shook him. He grunted and opened an eye.

"Woman-" He started but Inoue cut him off.

"Ulquiorra-san, the Lily! It's still in my room!" Inoue informed the grumpy Espada. He opened his other eye and blinked.

"Woman, it should be dead by now. Stop making a fuss." He said. The corners of Inoue's mouth turned downwards and her eyes saddened.

"Would you please get it for me?" She asked softly.

"Why? It's dead." Ulquiorra said in a low voice. Inoue sat up and threw her legs over the edge of the bed. A shiver ran down her spine as her feet came in touch with the cold floor.

"I'll get it myself then." She mumbled and rose. Before she could take a step, she heard a gush of wind and Ulquiorra appeared before her. Inoue gasped softly and stared into his green eyes, avoiding his bare chest. She clasped her hands together in front of her chest and took a deep and steady breath.

"Please. Just let me go get it-" She pleaded but Ulquiorra interrupted her mid-sentence

"Woman." He said and placed a not-so stark white Lily in her hand. The petals hung limply and were discoloured into a browner shade. Inoue gasped and called for her fairies and started to heal the almost-dead flower.

Ulquiorra watched her with interest as she healed the dead plant. She could not only heal humans, but plants too. That meant that she could heal all organisms. The petals slowly gained their original color back and rose from their limped state.

"There…All done." Inoue whispered as she smiled and placed the Lily on the nightstand. She turned her attention to Ulquiorra and put her hair behind her ear as she stepped closer to him.

"Thank you." Inoue said as she smiled. Ulquiorra blinked as she wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him closer into a hug. Ulquiorra's arms hung limply at his side and his nose was pressed against Inoue's hair. It smelled sweet. The scent clouded his mind and he grit his teeth.

"Woman," He started, his hand twitching "What are you doing?" He mumbled. His stomach felt light and he couldn't think straight. What was happening? He had never felt this before. Inoue tightened her grip on him before she let go. She smiled and crawled into the bed, bid him goodnight, and turned her back to him. Ulquiorra stared down on her and huffed as he placed a pale hand on his stomach. It'd felt weird a moment ago but now the feeling was gone. He didn't understand. He turned the lights off and went to bed.

* * *

"Wo…Woman…." A voice called out to Inoue and she lazily opened her eyes as she woke from her slumber.

"Wha?" She slurred. Her voice was thick with sleep and her eyelids felt heavy.

"Woman, wake up. We're going." The voice said and Inoue saw it was Ulquiorra.

"To where?" She asked as she rose and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She hadn't slept very well. The event of her hugging Ulquiorra constantly repeated itself in her dreams. It did bother her: He'd warned her about physical contact but she'd completely neglected this and hugged him. What was wrong with her?

"The meeting with Aizen-sama." Ulquiorra informed her and Inoue frowned. Meeting? Ulquiorra hadn't told her anything about a meeting.

"Okay. Just give me a minute." She said and got out of the bed. When she was fully dressed she followed Ulquiorra out of the room. When they arrived they took their seat and Aizen began speaking.

"Are we complete? Very well," He paused and glanced at all the Espada "It seems the shinigami retreated from Hueco Mundo." He said and stared at Inoue. Everyone's eyes widened.

"What? Why?" Szayel asked. Aizen smirked.

"It seems that one of them got wounded and needed medical attention, so they retreated for now." Aizen said. Inoue gasped.

"Who? And how?" She asked in a small voice. Aizen sighed and closed his eyes.

"Rukia Kuchiki got attacked when she fell to the world of the Gillian. Her friends managed to save her, but the risk was high." Aizen said and Inoue lowered her gaze and fisted her hands. This was her fault. She ran away to Hueco Mundo, thinking she could spare her friends, but it was quite the opposite. They only got hurt.

"But now that the enemy has retreated, we have some time for ourselves and Gin came up with a good idea. Gin?" Aizen said and let his gaze wander to his subordinate.

"Well, I thought, now that we have some free time, ya know, let's do somethin' fun. So…Go pack your stuff, put on ya bikini's because we're goin' to tha beach!" Gin finished enthusiastically. Everyone looked at him and blinked.

"What the fuck, you can't be serious." Grimmjow cussed as he stared at Aizen, dumbstruck.

"He's very, very serious, Grimmjow. And I agree with him. We all need a vacation. Have some fun, get outside, see the sun." Aizen said and smiled.

"What the hell, I'm not going! I hate water!" Grimmjow yelled and slammed his fist on the table. Aizen glared at him.

"It's an order, Grimmjow." He said sternly. Grimmjow grit his teeth and tsked. Inoue bit her lip.

"But there's no beach in Hueco Mundo." She whispered.

"No." Aizen said.

"Then how…?" She wondered.

"We're goin' to tha human world, girl." Gin said. Inoue looked up. She was going home?

"Don't get me wrong, girl. You won't see ya friends or ya hometown." Gin answered her thoughts and Inoue cursed her naïveté.

"We're leaving tomorrow. And _everyone_ has to come, understand? And that's all. You're dismissed." Aizen said and he left with Gin and Tousen. It was silent for a moment before Szayel began speaking.

"The hell? Why should we go to the beach? We've never been on a trip before." He said as he folded his hands and rested his head on top of it.

"It's a freaking crazy idea! I mean, why the human world? What if we encounter one of those shinigami? It's completely useless and a waste of time to go to the beach." Yammy said angrily. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"But I do like to be out in the sun. It's nice and warm. And the bright side is that we have some free time." Harribel said.

"This whole thing is ridiculous." Ulquiorra said as he rose "Woman, come."

"Well, you could use some sun, pale-face." Grimmjow snorted and Ulquiorra shot him a glance.

"Shut up, trash. I can at least _swim_." Ulquiorra countered and Grimmjow growled. Inoue bit her lip as something occurred to her.

"Um, guys? Where am I going to get my bikini?" She asked as she pulled the sleeve of her dress. Ulquiorra turned around in the doorway.

"The lower Arrancar will make you one." He said as he left the room. Inoue nodded and went after him to their room.

"You can go naked if you want!" Nnoitra yelled after her and she blushed.

* * *

Today was the big day. The day of the trip. Inoue sighed and snuggled deeper under the covers and stared at Ulquiorra's serene face. His helmet dug into the pillow and Inoue was amazed at how comfortable he seemed. She'd noticed that she enjoyed to watch Ulquiorra sleep. He looked much…well much wasn't the right word…happier…not the right word either. But he did look less melancholic. Deep rhythmic breaths escaped past his dual-colored lips and Inoue smiled. She preferred him in this state. It was strange, but she felt happy. She wished she could be more often with Ulquiorra like this.

She extended her hand and stroked his midnight black hair. It was slightly tangled from the tossing and turning. Inoue blinked. How did he brush his hair on the left side of his head? Can he remove the helmet? Inoue giggled. She would like to see him without the thing. Ulquiorra stirred and sighed as he snuggled his face deeper into the pillow and Inoue's heart missed a beat. That was too cute. Inoue blushed and tried to surpress the thought of hugging him. She touched the rim of his Hollow hole and his breath staggered. Inoue held her breath but Ulquiorra didn't move. She left the hole as it was and trailed down his muscular body. Her hand stopped just above the sash and she blushed.

"Woman, if you go any lower-" Ulquiorra's sentence was interrupted by a loud shriek. Inoue stared at him with big eyes.

"I'm so sorry! I was just curious! No not about what's down there- No I mean-Uh.." She stammered as her face shaded into a deeper red. Ulquiorra grunted.

"Don't you ever go there again. It's out of line, woman." He warned her and Inoue nodded. She expected him to go out of the bed but he just kept staring at her. It unnerved her and she fumbled with the sheet.

"What?" She asked eventually. He blinked once and reached out. Inoue gulped and brought her hands to her chest. His fingers stroked her cheek and Inoue shivered. His touch was cold on her skin and Inoue closed her eyes. His hand stroked her temple and the roots of her hair. He took a strand of hair in his hand and fingered the red mass.

"You have strange hair, woman." He murmured. Inoue blinked. Did he just compliment her? Anyone else would've been insulted, but Inoue knew better.

"Um...Err…Thanks?" She whispered. Ulquiorra raised his gaze up to hers.

"I like your eyes." Inoue blurted out and she slapped herself mentally for the stupid remark.

"You've said that before." Ulquiorra said dryly.

"I know. They remind me of a forest. It's kind of calming me. When I was little green was my favourite color. My brother also liked it and bought me a green hat. Isn't that cute? But when I met Kurosaki-kun my favourite color changed into orange. Do you think that's weird? What's your favourite color? Do you even have one? You aren't colour-blind, are you? " Inoue rambled. Ulquiorra remained silent as he stared at her face. He usually found silence pleasant and disliked things that made too much noise, like Inoue. But strangely enough he wasn't bothered by her rambling.

"Don't be foolish, woman. Of course I can see colors. I'm-"

"Do you like the color of your eyes?" She asked, interrupting his sentence. Ulquiorra blinked. He'd never thought about that. Well, he'd never bothered because he didn't care.

"I don't know, woman. I've never thought about that." He said and sighed.

"You don't know? Well, I like my color, but I'd rather have green eyes. But they would stand out too much. Maybe blue! Blue is a nice color." Inoue said as she put a finger to her lip. Ulquiorra raised a hand to his eyes and Inoue gasped as he pulled his right eye out of his socket and held it out to her.

"You said you liked my eyes: Take it. It will regenerate." Ulquiorra said. Inoue raised her hands and held them up in front of her.

"Um…Ulquiorra, that's a bit weird." She said as she laughed nervously. Ulquiorra stared at her ad he slowly closed enclosed his fingers around the eyeball.

"No Ulquiorra don't-" Inoue started but Ulquiorra'd already crushed the eyeball. Shiny little dust particles flowed around the place and Inoue's vision slowly changed.

"What's happening?" Inoue asked.

"When I crush my eye the person with me can see everything I've seen." Ulquiorra explained. Inoue nodded and looked around. They were in a dark room with only one window. Then she saw herself standing in the middle of the room with a hurt look on her face.

"Hey that's m-" She couldn't finish her sentence because the Inoue of Ulquiorra's vision stormed forwards and slapped him. The vision went sideways and the slap echoed throughout the room. Inoue covered her mouth with her hand.

"Did I really slap you that hard?" She asked in a little voice.

"No. My Hierro skin is hard enough to deflect a blade. But if I were a human, it would've been hard." Ulquiorra said monotonously. The vision faded into another one. It was the meeting with Aizen that went the wrong way and Ulquiorra had been punished. Inoue's lower lip trembled.

"I'm so stupid," She began "I came here to protect the people I love and they only get hurt. I'm even hurting you." She muttered and tried to stop the tears from leaking out of her eyes, but failed miserably.

"You're not hurting me, woman. You can't." Ulquiorra said and the visions faded all together. There was a knock on the door and Ulquiorra jumped of the bed. He opened it and saw Grimmjow standing before him. In swimming trunks.

"Grimmjow, if this is some kind of joke, it isn't funny." Ulquiorra warned him and Grimmjow inclined his head and laughed.

"Relax, Cuatro. Forgot about the little trip to tha beach?" He mocked and spotted he missed his right eye. Ulquiorra gave him a blank stare and Grimmjow snickered again before he waltzed away.

"Oh! Before I forget: Don't forget to take the girl with ya!" Grimmjow shouted after him and Ulquiorra grunted.

"I'm not stupid, like you, _Sexta_." Ulquiorra hissed before he slammed the door shut. He swirled around and bumped into something small and warm.

"Woman wha-" Inoue interrupted his sentence and rubbed the back of her head. Her eyes were still a bit moist.

"I'm sorry. I was just curious. Who was that?" She asked. Ulquiorra stepped around her and opened the doors of the wardrobe.

"Grimmjow." Ulquiorra answered curtly. Inoue nodded and took a stand beside him. He rummaged through some papers and clothes and mumbled something incoherent before he threw something to her. Inoue catched it and held it up. It was a bikini.

"Ulquiorra? What are actually _you_ doing with a bikini?" She asked and Ulquiorra glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

"The lower Arrancar made it for you." He answered. Inoue frowned.

"When did he bring it in here?" She asked and wondered if she missed something.

"When you were sleeping. I'm going to get changed." Ulquiorra said as he grabbed his swimming trunks and sauntered to the bathroom. Inoue nodded and held the bikini up. It looked like her uniform: the top and bottom were white with black rims. It was pretty plain. Inoue sighed and undressed herself. The bikini fit perfectly. How did the Arrancar know her sizes? She reminded herself to ask Ulquiorra later.

She was just finished dressing when Ulquiorra stepped out of the bathroom. Inoue blinked. His helmet was _gone_. And so was his Hollow hole, the tattoo and the tearmarks too. His skin was still very pale though.

"What?" She sputtered.

"You've never seen a Gigai before, woman?" Ulquiorra questioned as he slung a towel over his shoulder.

"Well, yes. But not with a Hollow in it. And why would you go in a Gigai?" Inoue asked.

"So we can interact with the humans. And if we encounter a human who's spiritually aware it can bring problems with it. It's safer to go like this." Ulquiorra explained and placed a pair of sunglasses on top of his head. Inoue smiled at the casualness. So that's how he looked without a helmet. She liked it. Ulquiorra opened the door and waited for her to go first. Inoue wrapped a towel around her body and walked out of the room. Ulquiorra shut the door and sped up so he was beside her.

"Don't do anything particularly stupid when we're in the human world, woman. It's futile to try to escape or go look for help. I will watch over you for the whole day and won't leave your side. Just so you know." Ulquiorra told her and Inoue pouted.

"No fair." She muttered. A big door came into a view and Inoue realised it was the exit of the palace. The were greeted by a group of Espada and an endless mass of pale white sand as Ulquiorra opened the heavy door. Inoue eyed all of them and saw they looked just as casual as Ulquiorra. Aizen, Gin and Tousen were in front of the group.

"Ah, you have arrived. Very well. Let's go then, my children." Aizen said as Starrk opened a Garganta to the human world. The group left there Gigai's and entered the portal. All of them carried their own. Inoue looked around her. They were in a vast void. She scooted closer to Ulquiorra, scared that she might get lost or fall down or something creepy like that.

"Don't stray, woman. If you get lost, it will be for eternity." Ulquiorra said and Inoue gulped.

"Hai." She said. The group suddenly stopped walking and Inoue tried to look around the Espada. Aizen had halted them. He turned around and tapped his nose.

"Let's quicken our pace." Aizen said. All the Espada nodded and disappeared out of sight. Inoue blinked.

"Wait, I can't use Sonido or Flash step!- Whaaah!" Inoue yelled as she was being picked up by Ulquiorra. Inoue blinked against his chest and embraced herself. He'd slung his Gigai over his shoulder. She felt herself being pressed against his body as Ulquiorra speeded forwards. They catched up easily with the group and were soon on the frontlines, together with Starrk and Harribel. Inoue peeked her head over Ulquiorra's shoulder and saw Grimmjow and Barragan were behind them. Grimmjow grinned and winked at her.

"Oi Ulquiorra! Wanna race?" He suggested. Ulquiorra turned his head and narrowed his eyes. Inoue noticed his right eye had grown back.

"No. You know my Sonido is superior to yours, Sexta." Ulquiorra reminded him and Grimmjow huffed.

"Alright, alright, I get it. Don't spoil it, Cuatro. Oi, if you want me to carry the girl-"

"Over my dead body." Ulquiorra cut him off. Inoue smiled a small smile as she overheard the two fighting. She sort of liked Grimmjow's cocky and rebellious attitude.

"Hey, Grimmjow-san?" Inoue started and saw Grimmjow looked up.

"Want to build a sandcastle with me?" Inoue suggested and Grimmjow cocked a brow.

"Please?" Inoue pleaded and stared at him with puppy dog eyes. Grimmjow's eyes widened and he looked away, mumbling something incoherent. Inoue thought she saw him blush, but ignored it.

"Fine." He said finally. Inoue smiled at him.

"Thanks." She said. A sudden bright light blinded her vision and she tried to shield her eyes.

"Alright, we're here children. Now remember: Act and think like a human, and don't try to scare them away," Aizen said "Yammy?"

"Fine fine!" The big Espada said grumpy. Ulquiorra put Inoue on her feet and entered his Gigai, as did everyone else. He sighed and watched her closely. As soon as her feet made contact with the ground she yelped and bounced up and down.

"Ouch, ouch! That's hot!" Inoue yelped as she burned her feet on the hot sand of the beach. She lifted her gaze and gasped as she saw the surroundings: A cyan sea, with a cloudless sky and pale sand, just like Hueco Mundo's.

"Wow." She breathed as she sauntered to the sea. Harribel and Starrk brushed past her and set up a place to rest in the shade. Grimmjow, Yammy and Nnoitra jumped almost immediately into the sea and tried to drown each other. Inoue frowned. She thought that Grimmjow had said he hated water. Well, whatever. Aizen, Gin and Tousen walked to a nearby pavilion. Ulquiorra pocketed his hands and watched as Inoue marched into the sea. The sun burned on his skin and he scowled lightly. Inoue turned around and waved at him, shouting he should come to.

"Ulquiorra! Come on! The water is great!" She shouted. The water reached her waist and Ulquiorra sighed as he walked over to the salty water. It engulfed his feet, and soon his whole lower body as he waded to Inoue. A sudden wave caught him off guard and he went under. Damn those Gigai's. If he were in his normal body he could've avoided that wave. As soon as he was above the water his ears were filled with laughter. He spat out some seawater and glared at the people laughing at him: Grimmjow and Inoue. He grit his teeth and swirled around as he started to wade to the shore. He felt someone grab his arm and turned his head.

"I'm sorry, Ulquiorra," Inoue laughed "But the look on your face was priceless when the wave washed you away." Inoue said smiling. She thought he looked cute. His black hair clung to his face and his eyes were big.

"Let's go to the others and dry up." Inoue said and Ulquiorra gave her a nod. The found a nice, quiet place and sat down on their towels. Harribel stared at them and Inoue smiled back at her.

"What's wrong with him?" Harribel asked as she gave a nod into Ulquiorra's direction. Inoue stifled her giggling.

"A wave took him under. You had to see the expression on his face, it was priceless." Inoue answered. Harribel laughed and grinned at Ulquiorra.

"The mighty Cuatro was beaten by a innocent little wave?" She mocked and Ulquiorra shot her a glance.

"Shut up." He mumbled and closed his eyes. Harribel elbowed Inoue and rose.

"You go pamper him, princess." She said and walked to the sea with Starrk on her heals. Inoue giggled and looked at the man beside her. He was obviously ashamed of what happened.

"It's okay, Ulquiorra. Let me buy you an ice cream!" She said enthusiastically and jumped up. Ulquiorra blinked and rose as he followed her down to the pavilion. They were greeted by Aizen, Gin, Tousen and Szayel as they entered the place and Inoue rushed to the freezer with the ice cream. She placed her hands on the cold glass and stared at the varieties of ice cream. A waiter emerged from what seemed the kitchen and greeted them.

"Good morning, what can I do for you?" He asked as he watched the pair.

"We would like some ice cream, please." Inoue said. The waiter nodded and grabbed an ice cream spoon.

"How many spoons?" He asked and Inoue pouted.

"Uhm…Two please." The waiter nodded and asked which flavour she wanted.

"Uhm…Pistachio and Chocolate Marshmallow, please." Inoue said and the waiter scooped the ice and put it on a cone.

"There you go. And you, sir?" The waiter asked and Ulquiorra blinked. He stared at the signs with the names of different flavours on it.

"I take Vanilla and Pistachio." Ulquiorra said monotone. The waiter gave him his ice cream, they paid, and bid each other goodbye. Aizen watched as his most favourite Espada stared at the cone as if he didn't know what to do with it and hid a smirk. The pair brushed past him and went outside.

"Careful, Ulquiorra. You've got to protect the ice cream from the sun, otherwise it will melt." Inoue told the Espada and he grunted.

"I know what ice is and does, woman. You don't need to tell me that." He said grumpily as they sauntered back to their place in the shade. Inoue sank down and started licking her ice cream.

"This is so yummy! Don't you think so…Ulquiorra?" Inoue finished as she looked up to the confused man. He stood there watching her as his ice cream slowly melted and leaked onto his hand. Inoue's eyes saddened. He didn't know what to do with the ice? She pat the place beside her and Ulquiorra sat down, cross legged, beside her.

"Look. You've got to lick it. Some people bite, but I prefer to lick. Try." She said as she licked her own ice cream to demonstrate him how it works. His eyes flew from her face to his cone and he brought it closer to his dual-colored lips. His tongue slowly slid past his lips and he quickly licked the ice cream. His eyes narrowed as the taste spread throughout his mouth.

"Well?" Inoue asked curiously.

"It's…decent." He said. It was too sweet for his tastes, but it wasn't bad. He licked it a couple of times before he offered it to Inoue and rose to wash his hands in the sea. Inoue stared at his back and came to realize something. She liked him. And with 'liked him', she meant 'like like'. It wasn't exactly love, but she did feel something. She frowned. This couldn't be good. You can't like an enemy. Lions don't like their pray either. It's against nature's law. Her dream had showed it too. Whenever she thought of Ichigo, she didn't feel the flutters anymore and nor did her heart leap. But Ulquiorra was a whole different story.

"This is bad." She mumbled as she ate the last remains of Ulquiorra's cone. She heard footsteps and looked up to see Aizen standing beside her, together with his subordinates.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Inoue?" He asked as he shielded his eyes from the sun.

"Yes, Aizen-sama. I'm glad I can be here." Inoue answered.

"Would you like to play a little game with us?" Aizen questioned and Inoue blinked. He probably meant the whole group.

"What game?" She asked as she rose and brushed to sand off of her body.

"I'm sure you've heard of it. It's called Truth or Dare." Aizen told her and Inoue raised her brows. She hadn't played that in a long time.

"Sure, I'll play with you." She said and Aizen smiled.

"Very well. Gin, will you gather everyone please? Thank you." Aizen said and headed to the middle of the beach. Inoue followed him and saw they'd placed a checked carpet on the sand. She sat down and some time later Gin arrived with all the Espada. Ulquiorra took a seat on her right and Harribel on the left.

"Alright, I'll begin," Aizen started as he sat down between Gin and Tousen.

"Grimmjow, truth or dare?" He asked. Grimmjow tsked.

"Dare," He said as he crossed his arms. "Truth is for pussy's."

"I dare you to eat a handful of sand." Aizen said and smirked. Grimmjow's eyes widened.

"What? That's fucking insane!" He yelled but Aizen fixed him with a stern look and Grimmjow bent down and buried his mouth in the sand.

"I said a handful, Grimmjow. Not a mouthful." Aizen mocked and Grimmjow glared at the man as he swallowed the sand. He coughed and looked around the circle.

"Nnoi-tra, truth or da-re you-you bastard." Grimmjow said as he spit out some remains of the sand.

"Truth." He said. Like hell he was going to do something like that.

"Is it true that you screwed Tres?" Grimmjow asked as he stared at the two Espada. Harribel gasped and Nnoitra's eyes widened.

"No!" He said a bit too quick. Grimmjow grinned and shrugged.

"Whatever." He said. Nnoitra growled.

"Cuatro, truth or dare?" He asked the black-haired man. Ulquiorra blinked lazily.

"Dare." He said. Szayel, whom was on Nnoitra's left whispered something in the Quinta's ear. Nnoitra laughed and glared at Ulquiorra.

"I dare you to kiss Pet-sama _on the lips_." He said with emphasis on the last three words and Ulquiorra's eyes widened for a split second.

"I refuse." He said.

"It's not an offer, Cuatro. It's an _order_." Nnoitra said evilly. Ulquiorra grit his teeth and saw Inoue bit her lip and tried to hide her face from him. There was no way he was going to talk himself out of this.

"Fine." He hissed. He turned Inoue's head and placed his lips on hers. Inoue's eyes widened. It lasted for less then two seconds. Ulquiorra broke the kiss and crossed his arms.

"Are you satisfied now?" He said, venom dripping from his words. Nnoitra laughed.

"Oh hell, I am!" He said. Ulquiorra growled and eyed the big Espada beside him.

"Yammy, truth or dare." He said monotonously. Yammy scratched his head.

"Dare." He said eventually.

"I dare you to punch Quinta in the face." Ulquiorra said and Yammy laughed.

"If you say so, Ul~qui~orra!" Yammy sang and rose from his spot. Nnoitra's smile faltered and he held his hands up in front of him.

"Now wait a second!-" His sentence was interrupted by a loud bang and he was sent flying backwards. Yammy laughed and returned to his spot beside Ulquiorra.

"Szayel, Truth or Dare?" He asked as he cracked his knuckles.

"Truth." The scientist answered and Yammy huffed.

"Is it true that you're gay?" He asked and the madman laughed.

"Of coarse not!" He said and looked around.

"Gin, Truth or Dare?" Szayel asked. Gin smiled.

"Well, whadda ya know. It's my turn. Uhm..Dare" He said.

"I dare you to hug everyone who passes by." Szayel said. Gin shrugged, jumped up and hugged a random old woman. She shrieked and hit him on the head with her bag, her stick and her heels.

"Ouch! Okay, girl, truth or dare?" Gin asked whilst rubbing his head.

"Uhm..," Inoue put a finger to her lips "Dare." She said. Gin smiled and looked at Ulquiorra, whom narrowed his eyes.

"You dare-" He started but Gin cut him off.

"I dare ya to sit on Ulquiorra's lap and hug him throughout tha game." Gin said and smiled at Ulquiorra. Inoue blushed, placed herself on the Cuatro's lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"There ya go. Isn't that bad, eh Ulquiorra?" Gin teased and Ulquiorra hissed. Inoue avoided the green-eyed man's gaze and let her eyes wander across the group.

"Grimmjow-san, truth or dare?" She asked in a small voice.

"What the hell? Why me again?" Grimmjow yelled as he hit the sand.

"Because you're fun to tease." Szayel said.

"Shut your face, Gaylord. Dare." Grimmjow growled and Inoue managed to smile a little. She felt Ulquiorra shift uncomfortably under her and tightened her embrace on him, which made him growl in response.

"I dare you to-" Inoue started but stopped dead when she saw someone behind Tousen. She couldn't believe her eyes. On that moment everything around stopped existing and it was just her and the person. How did he come here? Did he detect her spiritual energy?

"Welcome," Aizen smirked "Kurosaki Ichigo. It's nice of you to join us." He said. Ichigo didn't seem to hear his words and kept staring at Inoue. And then it slowly dawned on her that she was in a very tight position with Ulquiorra.

"K-Kurosaki-kun-" Inoue tried stand up, but Ulquiorra held her in place. She wanted to explain but Ichigo interrupted her.

"Inoue! What the heck are you doing? Why are you…you…" He couldn't find the right words for what he wanted to say. What was she doing? Why was she sitting in _his_ lap? Did she really betray him after all? He hadn't believed it when he heard that Inoue had left of her own free will. But seeing her like this…

Tears sprung to Inoue's eyes when Ichigo didn't made a move to save her. Why was he hesitating?

And then a lot of things happened simultaneously. Ichigo was knocked of his feet and fell to the ground. Inoue screamed and pleaded for Grimmjow to stop but it was useless. While Ichigo had been spacing out Grimmjow had managed to get into his real body and attack the Ryoka. He jumped on top of the orange-haired boy and began punching the living daylight out of him. Inoue cried and tried to reach for her friend but Ulquiorra held her in place and rose from his spot. He went into his own body and opened a Garganta and stepped inside. Aizen would deal with the boy. Inoue tried to reach but it was too late and the portal closed.

"Kurosaki-kun…"She whispered. Her lower lip trembled and she balled her small hands into fists. Ulquiorra was taken aback slightly when she started ramming on him, screaming to let her go.

"Let me go! Kurosaki-kun! Kurosaki-kun! Please, save me!" She screamed as Ulquiorra sonidoed away. Ulquiorra had enough of her screaming and knocked her out cold.

He eventually reached Nas Loches and ran to his room. He dumped Inoue on the bed and placed his Gigai somewhere safe. He stared at her unmoving form and covered her body with the sheets. He sat on the edge of the bed and waited for her to wake up. He let his gaze wander around the room and held still when his eyes fell on the Lily.

It was dead.


	7. Waltz With Me

**Well, hello again :P Much to say this time. My finals are over (YAY I MADE IT) *3* I've been gone for three weeks and hadn't any time to work on fics up until now. And I'll probably be gone again from 9****th**** of August for a week, so no updating then either D: But after that I'll still have 3 or 4 weeks vacation :) So! That's all I think… Oh, I got the title from a (beautiful) UlquiHime AMV :) Enjoy!**

**Chapter Seven: Waltz With Me**

* * *

Inoue stirred and slowly opened her eyes. She was greeted by the crescent moon outside the window and she blinked a couple of times to clear the blurry view. The crystal light source leaked it's watery light into the still room and lit the bed and some other furniture, that seemed to be glowing, a white veil surrounding every pale piece that was exposed to the brilliant orb of night.

It had been five days since the foiled trip to the beach and she had gotten pretty much over the incident but still saddened at the thoughts. Ulquiorra had told her 'the human' was alive so everything was alright. Right? She repeatingly told herself those sentences, but was it really true? Then again, Ulquiorra had no reason to lie whatsoever. Inoue sighed and rubbed her eyes. She thought too much.

Inoue felt the bed shift beside her and rolled on her other side. Ulquiorra's half lidded eyes stared at her and blinked. She yawned and locked her gaze with his'. His emerald orbs were like a blazing fire, licking at her grey ones, but never really engulfing them. Inoue smiled a little at her poetic thoughts and whispered a 'good morning' to Ulquiorra, whom grunted lazily and covered his eyes with his arm. Inoue giggled at his inattentive and totally out of it morning behavior. She thought it was cute, even though Ulquiorra and cuteness did not go together. She blinked when she felt a light touch on her cheek and she shot him a questioning look.

"Do you think I'm insane, Ulquiorra-san?" Inoue asked as he stroked her cheek with the tip of his finger. He looked at her through his long lashes.

"We're all a little insane, woman." He ventured, his voice still raspy with sleep. Inoue frowned. He was beating around the bush.

"What do you mean?" She asked. Ulquiorra lifted his hand and ran it through his black locks. Inoue had to admit that she liked his hair. It was thick, shiny and silky. She loved everything about it. She extended her hand and twirled a lock of hair around her fingers. She'd always admired Ichigo's hair because it had an extraordinary color, just like hers, and never considered black to be as beautiful as well because it was a common shade of hair color to have. But now that she could take a closer look to Ulquiorra's hair, she could see the beauty of his jet-black hair and the bluish highlights.

"Ulquiorra-san?" She silently urged the aloof man.

"You think you're insane because you're confused about what happened at the beach." Ulquiorra explained and he grunted as Inoue tugged on his hair. She pursed her lips wryly. He figured her out.

"Yes. Aren't you?" She asked and cuddled closer to him. She grabbed a lock of her own hair and twined it with Ulquiorra's strand. The contrast of her hair stood out compared to his'. Ulquiorra's eyes followed her movements but said nothing. The touching had become more and more regular and Ulquiorra eventually began touching her too, even though his touches were feather light and barely there. Inoue couldn't say she didn't liked it. She raised her gaze up to his and raised a perfect brow as she waited for his answer. The area around his eyes crinkled in the slightest and he untangled his hair from hers.

"No." He said apathetically. But his mind thought otherwise. He'd felt strange when he'd planted his lips on her, even though it was for only less then two seconds. Inoue noticed that he was feigning his impassive and casual composure but said nothing.

The silence that followed was pleasant. Their rhythmic, audible breaths mingled together, mint and sweet, and clouded their minds. Ulquiorra's eyes dropped until they were only small slits. Inoue smiled.

She was everything he wasn't. They were like Ying and Yang. Black and white and a beautiful rainbow. Maybe that's what attracted her to him. She was interested in their differences and their similarities. She could only think of one similarity: They were both interested in each other. Inoue would've never thought that she would form a bond with a Hollow. You couldn't call it friendship, nor a relationship. They held a mutual feeling for each other. That was at the start. Inoue's heart pounded in her ears and she sighed.

"Ulquiorra?" She started blandly. He opened one of his closed eyes and hummed. Inoue hadn't realized he'd closed his eyes.

"What would you say if I told you that I'd fallen in love with a Hollow?" She asked and Ulquiorra's other eye popped open.

"That's ridiculous, woman. There's no way a clean, hypocrite soul like you could fall in love with a vicious and depraved monster such as a Hollow." He said a bit indignantly and Inoue averted her orbs from his'.

"But what if?" She nagged. Ulquiorra watched her with a look that told her he was thinking of a decent reply. It was hard for him to talk about this subject, because he didn't comprehend it completely. He'd been keen to learn, and did understand some things now, but would never fully get the idea of 'being in love'. Maybe that time would learn him.

"Then I would say that you are insane. Especially if it would be Grimmjow, Nnoitra or me." He replied dull and Inoue raised a brow.

"Why you?" She asked bewildered.

"Look at me closely, woman: I'm a monster. A killer. I'm a warrior and my appearance betrays it. You don't know what you're talking about. You don't know what I've been in the life before this one." He said sullen and touched the tip of the horn on his helmet. Inoue worried her lip between her teeth and frowned dolefully.

"I don't understand-" She started but Ulquiorra cut her off.

"You can't comprehend this, it's too difficult. It's like the universal: It's too big and extensive. Your mind can't grasp the idea of something so vast. My situation is the same. You don't know anything about an after- and before-life. You need to have lived it yourself to fully get what you've seen and experienced." Ulquiorra explained as he rolled onto his back and set his gaze on the ceiling. Inoue watched him quietly as she thought about what he just said.

"Tell me about the life you had before you became Hollow." Inoue whispered as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. Ulquiorra inhaled sharply and his nostrils flared when he breathed out.

"I don't remember my whole life. When you become a Hollow, you lose a big part of your memory. And you lose even more of it when you eventually go through all the stages, from Hollow to Espada. Most of the Espada don't remember a single thing, for example Szayel. " He explained.

"But you do memorize some things." Inoue said.

"Yes, but only the big lines, not the details. I died at the age of 21," He started and his eyes travelled to hers "I had a easy and laidback life back then. My parent were rich, we lived in a vast mansion and I had everything I wished for. Friends, family and the money. I was popular at school because of my easygoing attitude and looks. Woman were always drooling over me and hounding after me. I didn't mind." He said. He didn't sound like the Ulquiorra she knew. She inhaled his scent as he continued.

"It began at the age of 19 when my life took different turn. It was the day of my birthday. My parents went to the barn to get me my present. I already knew what it was of course: A motorcycle. I'd seen them haul it over the lawn. I waited, but when they didn't return I went after them and found them dead on the ground. Murdered. I didn't know what to do. The police came to investigate the case, but couldn't find any signs or traces of the murderer. Three days after their death I heard the rest of my family was dead too and it was clear that we were dealing with a serial killer. I was slowly losing everything. The mansion was sold and I was left out on the street with no house and no money. I had no family left to adopt me into their household. I couldn't go to school anymore and was losing my friends too. My heart slowly filled with darkness and my mind was clouded with passionate hate towards the person who murdered my family. I wanted revenge. I went after the person, gathered information and eventually found her. By that time, I was 21." Ulquiorra said caustic and Inoue listened intently.

"I was taken aback when I saw who it was. The woman who'd murdered my family was my very own girlfriend. I had been blinded by love that time and hadn't seen who she really was. She laughed at me and told me that she was going to kill me too. I can't describe what I felt at that moment. It was more then agitation and hate. She walked to my side and hugged me, like she hadn't done anything. I reached into my pocket and grabbed my penknife. I stabbed her in the chest and she fell to the ground, sputtering and coughing. I didn't finish her. I wanted her to suffer." Ulquiorra said.

"I hadn't realized the toll the revenge had taken on me. It had evaporated all my feelings, my wellbeing like mist. After it, I felt empty. I hadn't accomplished anything. I wasn't satisfied. I killed her family and decided I had enough of it. I committed suicide on a December night. I ran a sword through my heart. The pain was great but at least I felt something else then hate. I cried for the first time in two years. That's all I remember." Ulquiorra finished and Inoue gaped at him.

"Why would you do such a horrible thing?" She said. Ulquiorra rolled back onto his side and touched the skin that covered her heart.

"I had nothing left, woman. Don't forget that I was a conceited child." Ulquiorra said with a hint of bitterness in his voice. Inoue averted her eyes and played with the zipper of his coat.

Inoue had noticed some things throughout the tale that marked him as he was now. He'd felt empty, he'd ran a sword through his _heart _and he'd cried, that's why he probably had those tearmarks. Inoue felt sorry for him and saw for the first time since her imprisonment, that he was forlorn. She could see it now. The deep loneliness that pooled behind his eyes.

"You're lonely." Inoue stated silently and Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes but said nothing. She'd hit a tender spot.

"What did she look like?" Inoue whispered, changing the subject, and Ulquiorra stiffened. She shrieked when he grabbed her hair and pulled her face up to his.

"She actually resembled you a lot, woman. She also had red her and big eyes, but hers were blue." Ulquiorra said and Inoue could feel his nose brush against her cheek.

Perhaps that's the reason why he was so rude to her, calling her 'woman' all the time. He gave her no respect because she resembled his ex-lover. Inoue had always known that he wasn't a believer of chauvinism. She placed a hand on his cheek and pulled his face closer.

"I'm sorry." She whispered genuine. Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes and he rose from the bed.

"Don't be. You shouldn't pity someone like me. It's unnecessary. Besides, we're talking about the past. What's done is done." He said and pocketed his hands. Inoue sat up and turned her back to him.

"That's right," She said as she lowly turned her head to watch him "But I can't help but to feel sorry for you because, after all," She paused and took a deep breath " I cherish our moments together. You make me see things I couldn't see before. You made me less naïve." She mumbled. Ulquiorra's eyes widened slightly and he fisted his now tacky hands.

"Come with me." He said as he exited the room and Inoue quickly jumped out of the bed and trailed after him, her face adored with an indignant expression.

* * *

"Oh, Ulquiorra and Inoue Orihime? What a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you two?" Aizen said frankly. Inoue kept her gaze low. Why did Ulquiorra take her to Aizen?

"Aizen-sama," Ulquiorra bowed "I want to request something." Ulquiorra started. Aizen raised a perfect brow.

"Ho? And what may that be?" He said as he tapped the side of his face with his forefinger.

"I would like to use the ballroom for a moment." Ulquiorra said and Inoue raised her head. They had a ballroom?

"Of course you may use the ballroom. Go ahead." Aizen said as he rose from his chair and approximated the pair. He raised his hands and lifted both Inoue's and Ulquiorra's chin.

"My, my, aren't you two fine children." He said as if he were their father. Inoue gulped, the need to avert her eyes from him rising. He made it sound as if they were five year old children. Aizen let his hand slide to their cheeks and caressed them. Inoue finally closed her eyes as his obnoxious warm hand massaged her cheek. She'd become accustomed to Ulquiorra's icy hands and touches. Aizen chuckled listless.

"You can go." He said tersely. Ulquiorra opened his eyes and bowed. He briefly glanced at Inoue before turning on his heel and headed to the exit. The red-haired girl shot one last glance at the hazardous ex-shinigami before skipping after the stoic Espada she'd come to like more and more.

Inoue grabbed Ulquiorra's sleeve and bit her lower lip. He glanced at her but didn't shrug her off.

"Doesn't it bother you?" She asked unanticipated and Ulquiorra reverted his orbs on her.

"What?" He asked apathetic, his expression obscure, like always.

"That he talks like that to you, as if you are a five year old child?" Inoue urged as she looked behind her at the big doors that blocked the entrance to the throne room.

"No." Ulquiorra answered curtly and Inoue whipped her head around and looked at the man. Was it really that hard to give more of an explanation without her having to urge him?

"And what about him touching you?" She questioned somewhat defiant and pursed her lips. They reached a door and Ulquiorra opened it and they entered the room. It was completely dark.

"I don't care. Who am I to say he needs to stop. He may do with me as he pleases." Ulquiorra said brash. He clapped once and a chandelier went on. Inoue gasped as she eyed the ballroom. Unlike the rest of the palace, it wasn't plain and pale. The walls were painted in a warm, light orange. There were four big windows that reached the ceiling in the opposite wall. Inoue looked down and stared at her reflection in the marble floor.

"Wow." She breathed. Ulquiorra stepped to one of the windows and stared either at the sands of Hueco Mundo outside or at his reflection in the glass. Inoue walked up to him and stared to the crescent moon with astonishment.

"It's beautiful." She muttered. Ulquiorra moved his eyes to her reflection but said nothing.

The woman had always caught his interest with everything she did or said. Every little sentence or word she spoke seemed to have some sort of appreciation or amazement in them. Then again, it wasn't hard to please the woman since she found excitement in the most small things, for instance a flower. But not only did her behavior catch his interest, he could say she was beautiful as well. She had those soft features and a kind smile, big eyes and a small nose.

"So why are we here?" Inoue asked enthused as she casted a sidelong glance at him, interfering his musing.

"To do what you usually do in a ballroom." Ulquiorra said as a matter of fact. Inoue stared at him wide-eyed.

"We're going to d-dance?" She stuttered. Oh no. Ulquiorra probably didn't know that she was a terrible dancer.

"Of course." He said and clapped once again. The light dimmed and some candles lit up. Ulquiorra walked to the middle of the room and extended his hand. Inoue blushed and clasped her hands together as she slowly stepped forwards.

"Uhm…Ulquiorra-san?" She started "I…Well…I'm not an amazing dancer, you see…" She said as she hesitantly took his hand. He enclosed his hand around hers as soon as she took his and pulled her closer.

"I see. Just follow my movements." He simply said. He started to move his feet and Inoue mimicked his steps.

Soon they were dancing and Inoue was so busy with making the right steps that she didn't hear the soft background music playing. Ulquiorra twirled her around and Inoue blinked.

"I didn't knew you could dance." She remarked and Ulquiorra captured her eyes with his.

"I always used to dance in my spare time some years ago. I believe I also had dancing lessons in my past life, but I can't remember well." Ulquiorra said as he slid his hand to the small of her back. Inoue blushed at his gentleness and placed one hand on his chest and the other on his shoulder. She felt Ulquiorra's eyes on her and rested her head against his chest.

"You're tense." He said a bit amused. Inoue blushed a deeper shade of red and huffed.

"You would be too if you were me." She mumbled and Ulquiorra quirked a brow.

"Explain that to me." He said as he spun them around.

"I don't know how to dance." She muttered into his chest.

"You're doing fine." Ulquiorra said low and Inoue pouted.

"That's because I'm following your movements!" She said aggravated as she raised her gaze to his'. He seemed to find this amusing since the corner of his mouth twitched oh so slightly.

"Then don't." He said defiantly. Their movement slowed down until they were just slightly moving from side to side.

"Why exactly did you want to dance with me?" Inoue asked after a while. Ulquiorra hummed softly.

"I felt like doing so." He answered as he stared at their intertwined hands. Inoue suddenly heard voices and looked over Ulquiorra's shoulder to see Grimmjow and Halibel standing close to the door. She blushed and was about to stop dancing when Ulquiorra spoke.

"Ignore them." He muttered. Inoue bit her lip.

"Okay." She whispered reluctantly. Ulquiorra eyed her.

"You're embarrassed. Do you want to stop?" He questioned and Inoue stared into his eyes.

"No." She said as she watched the tails of his coat gently draft on the air with each movement he made. She was sure she would regret it if she broke this moment of being together.

"Oi, oi! What's this Cuatro?" Grimmjow exclaimed from his spot beside the door. Halibel rolled her eyes and elbowed the blue-haired man in the ribs.

"Shut up. Let them be." She said. Grimmjow snorted and crossed his arms. Ulquiorra glanced at Halibel before he reverted his eyes on the small form of the woman close to him.

"I wonder if Kurosaki-kun is doing fine…" Inoue mumbled as Ulquiorra pulled her even closer.

"You love him." He stated and Inoue let out a harried sigh.

"Yes…I did." She whispered and Ulquiorra frowned slightly. He knew she'd always loved the red-haired Shinigami. He'd seen her say goodbye to him through his Garganta Broadcast. She'd almost kissed him but refrained from it in the end and Ulquiorra didn't know why.

"You know, sometimes I envy you because you don't love. It isn't always a happy thing, you know? And I…I think I don't love Kurosaki-kun anymore. Every time I think of him, the butterflies in my stomach won't appear and my heart doesn't beat faster or anything like that." Inoue said as she dug her fingers in Ulquiorra's back. Of course he hadn't a clue of what she was talking about.

"Butterflies…" He mumbled a bit aggravated. Why did it seem as if everything in this existence revolved around love? Why not anger or hate? Is it perhaps that humans can't live a life without love or that a life without love isn't worth living? Was that it?

"Woman, why is it that love is so important? Is it because your life isn't worth living if you don't love?" Ulquiorra brooded and Inoue canted her head.

"I…don't know." She said "Can we take a break?" She asked. Ulquiorra let go of her frail body and advanced to the windows. Inoue followed him to the window on the far right. He extended his hand and opened a little door and stepped outside. Inoue raised her eyebrows. She hadn't seen there was a balcony. She went outside and took a stand behind Ulquiorra whom leaned against the railing. The wind fanned past her skin and swept her hair up.

Ulquiorra straightened his back and turned his head to her. Inoue smiled a little and went to his side.

"I don't understand what's going on. You should be in your cell, crying and screaming for salvation, and yet here you are on the balcony of the ballroom. You make it seem as if you're here of your own free will." Ulquiorra spoke and Inoue averted her eyes from his' and stared up at the moon.

"But you took me here. So it's not my fault I'm here." Inoue remarked and Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed.

"I'm not blaming anyone, woman. I'm just stating something." He said as he scratched the railing with his fingernail. Inoue bit the inside of her cheek.

"So am I." She said cheekily and Ulquiorra watched her in silence.

He first hadn't seen or known it, but she was a brave person. Though she was a horrible fighter, her honesty was great and she would risk her life for someone in danger without doubt. Like she had with that human the first time he'd met her. She'd stood before the weak girl without fear and took on Yammy. Or the time she'd slapped him. No one had ever dared reaching out to him like that. But her braveness also has something to do with her stubbornness to not give up. Like she would never give up hoping her nakama would come for her. Ulquiorra's eyes widened and he straightened his back. He'd found the answer to his question.

_Woman, are you afraid?_ She isn't afraid, she's desperate.

Desperate to be saved, for something to happen, an event of some sort.

"You aren't afraid?" He asked, breaking the silence. Inoue's eyes widened as he stepped closer until his chest was touching hers. Inoue stepped away from the balcony, trying to get away from him but he followed her. His features became shadowy as soon as he turned his back to the moon. But his green eyes shone eerily as he towered over her form.

"What-" Inoue started but was cut off.

"You aren't afraid, no." Ulquiorra began "You're desperate. You want to go away from here, from this lifeless world, because there's nothing here. Nothing that can satisfy you." Ulquiorra muttered leisurely.

Inoue blinked and frowned. What was he saying? She was starting to get uncomfortable.

"Why are you saying this?" She asked him warily. Ulquiorra stared at her and slightly scrunched his nose.

"Are you saying that I'm wrong?" He questioned a bit hesitantly and Inoue gave him a curt nod.

"Then what do you feel?" He asked as he took a step back and canted his head. Inoue pursed her lips. She didn't know.

At first, she was aggravated and sad that she'd been taken to this place. She'd disliked Aizen and all of the Espada and wanted to go home. But now, now she couldn't say she hated it so much as she used to. Ulquiorra had become 'nicer' and did take her out for walks or things like that. No one treated her as a prisoner anymore. And besides this, she also knew she was starting to harbour some sort of affection for Ulquiorra.

"I…don't know. I'm confused. My feelings and thoughts of this place, the Espada and you have changed a lot since I came here. I don't know what to think of this all." Inoue said frankly, all signs of fortitude long since gone. She rubbed her upper arm and averted her eyes from his'.

A light, fleeting feeling washed over Ulquiorra as he watched the girl before him. She looked beautiful in the moonlight. Her flawless creamy skin was ghostly pale in the moonlight and her hair looked like a burning fire, cascading down her back. Ulquiorra frowned as he felt a tight feeling in his gut.

A light breeze blew past them and Ulquiorra watched how it played with her hair, how she shivered and looked up at him pleadingly.

"Let's go back inside. It's quite cold here." Ulquiorra suggested and Inoue smiled at him, a sign of gratitude. She knew the weather didn't bother him because of his diamond hard skin.

"Okay." Inoue whispered as she stroke her hair behind her ear and followed Ulquiorra inside the palace again. At that moment Szayel appeared before them. Inoue shrieked and bumped into Ulquiorra, whom had abruptly halted.

"My, my," Szayel laughed a bit "What are you two doing here? _Alone_?" Szayel mocked and Ulquiorra glared at him.

"_What_ do you want, Octava?" Ulquiorra growled and Szayel shot him a smile.

"Aizen-sama wants you to come to the training room. The girl can come too if she wants. If she _dares_." Szayel said and chuckled after he spoke the last part. He twirled around and wove the couple goodbye before he disappeared. Inoue blinked and looked up at Ulquiorra.

"Training room? You didn't mention that you had to train today?" Inoue asked and stepped around the pale man.

"I have to train every day, woman. Otherwise I'd get weaker and eventually lose my rank as fourth Espada." Ulquiorra informed her and advanced to the door. Inoue pouted and nodded understandingly before she ran after him.

They left the ballroom and sauntered through the halls, took some turns, walked down some stairs before they went through a small door and halted in the middle of a large room.

"Whoa! What a space!" She exclaimed and blushed when she saw that all the Espada and Aizen were watching her. The Espada stood in a straight line before Aizen and Gin, waiting for him to start. Ulquiorra and Inoue quickly joined the line.

"Alright, now that we're all here," Aizen let his gaze wander across the group "Who wants to start?" He questioned and smiled when Grimmjow and Nnoitra said 'I want to' at the same time.

"Let's start with Grimmjow. Choose your sparring partner-" Aizen said but was interrupted.

"Ulquiorra! Let's do this!" Grimmjow yelled and pointed an accusing finger at Ulquiorra, whom stared back at him with a passive gaze and unzipped his collar and revealed his Hollow hole. Inoue'd noticed that he usually makes his hole visible when he's about to fight.

"Don't ya give me no gazes like that, ya bastard! I'll rip ya apart!" Grimmjow yelled and stomped away from the line. Inoue blinked and put a hand to her mouth, resisting the urge to laugh. She knew that Grimmjow's rivalry with Ulquiorra was one with passion.

"Alright children step back please." Aizen ordered and all the Espada walked to the sideline and Inoue quickly skipped after them. She chose to stand beside Halibel. Logically.

"Okay, you two know tha rules. right? No ceros, no releases, only physical fightin', got it?" Gin said and both Ulquiorra and Grimmjow nodded.

"Ok then. Well, have fun!" Gin said. As soon as he disappeared, the two Espada clashed with each other.

Halibel sighed and Inoue raised her gaze to look at her.

"What's the matter?" She asked. Halibel looked down at her with a raised eyebrow.

"It always goes like this. Grimmjow chooses Ulquiorra as sparring partner, and they'll battle for like two minutes." Halibel said and Inoue's eyes widened.

"Two mere minutes?" She asked and Halibel grunted.

"You'll see. Grimmjow may be strong, but Ulquiorra will outrun him in no time." Halibel muttered, and indeed, after two minutes and forty-one seconds, Grimmjow sank to the floor, breathing heavily.

"Fuck! Ya asshole! Oi, where are ya goin'? We're not done yet-" Grimmjow spat at the retreating Ulquiorra, whom suddenly swirled around and yanked Grimmjow up by the collar. He stared at the man and canted his head.

"…What? What you fuckin' mothafucker gaylord-" Grimmjow snarled but was cut off when he got punched in the face.

"Trash." Ulquiorra mumbled before he dropped Grimmjow to the floor and turned on his heel. The blue haired man grit his teeth. He was _not_ going to lose! He reached out and grabbed Ulquiorra by the ankle. Now he had to act fast. Grimmjow rolled onto his other side and swept Ulquiorra off his feet and slammed him into the ground. Stones and rubbles flew up and Inoue shrieked, covering her mouth. Some of the Espada gasped and the others just watched in awe at what happened.

Grimmjow slowly rose to his feet, one hand on his knee to support himself, and panted as he jumped back and watched the dust and smoke slowly clear. The shadowy contours of Ulquiorra slowly became visible and Inoue watched intently. She swallowed as she could make out his green eyes, which were practically burning with rage. A small, dull green light emitted in front of his chest and Inoue frowned.

"He's using cero!" Barragan exclaimed and Grimmjow gasped. He was about to react against the ground and run away, when the green light of Ulquiorra's cero washed him away. Grimmjow screamed and charged his own cero, fired it and managed to get out of Ulquiorra's.

"Aizen-sama, I think we should stop the match…" Halibel mumbled to her master.

"I don't think so. Let's see what'll happen." Aizen said and smirked, steadily watching the sudden interesting match. Inoue managed to remove her eyes from the battle and stared at the man. He couldn't let this go on. Ulquiorra and Grimmjow were ready to kill each other, didn't he see? Everyone covered their faces when a cero suddenly raged past them. Inoue yelped when Grimmjow flew past her in crashed into the wall.

Grimmjow growled and tried to stand but failed miserably. He shot a quick glance at the human girl, whom had her hands clasped together before her lips, and rose slowly. He reached for his sword and took a fighting stance.

"I'm…not gonna…lose…Ulq…uiorra.." Grimmjow rasped and unsheathed his sword.

"Grind, Pantera!" Grimmjow yelled and placed his hand on his zanpakutou. The sword began to emit a blue light and Grimmjow swiftly raked his hand over the blade. Dust exploded into the air and all the Espada sonidoed to the other side of the room. Halibel quickly snatched Inoue away by her waist before she got caught up in the heavy storm of dust and reiatsu. Inoue coughed a bit and thanked Halibel, whom gave her a curt nod.

Inoue let her gaze wander from the big cloud of dust to Ulquiorra, and worried her lip between her teeth.

"Ulquiorra-san…" She whispered and said person apparently heard her and cast her a side look glance. His eyes narrowed slightly of recognition at the sight of Inoue. She was worried. About _him._ Ulquiorra huffed inaudible and turned his attention back on Grimmjow.

The dust had settled and Grimmjow growled. His body was covered in some sort of bone armor and he'd grown ears.

"Why did you release?" Ulquiorra asked "Does this mean that you finally opened your eyes and admit that you can never overpower me, not even in that form?" He said and Grimmjow latched out at him. Ulquiorra dodged skilfully and fired a cero.

"You're one to say, but the only thing you're doing is firing those pathetic ceros at me, Ulquiorra-_chan_!" Grimmjow retorted and Ulquiorra clenched his jaw visibly. He placed his hand on top of the hilt of his sword and stared at it.

"Yes, c'mon. Do it. Go on and release, Ulquiorra-chan. Let me see ya power." Grimmjow challenged and grinned.

"You know that the Espada ranked four or higher can't release within the dome, Sexta. But that won't be necessary anyway." Ulquiorra muttered and unsheathed his sword.

"You're such a pansy, aren't ya?" Grimmjow scolded. And then the fight resumed again. It got heavier by the second. Inoue called out her fairies and protected herself as Grimmjow cried out, creating powerful shockwaves. Ulquiorra leapt up in the air and looked down at his opponent.

"We need to stop this." He spoke the words calmly and Grimmjow frowned "This is enough. I'm not going to fight this pointless fight with you." And with that he slowly lowered himself back on the ground and sheathed his zanpakutou. He shot one last glance at the panther like man before he walked towards the sidelines.

Inoue sighed out of relief and closed her eyes, happy Ulquiorra'd stopped the match. But then she felt the hairs on her neck stand on their ends and a shiver ran down her spine, a prickle of warning. She opened her eyes and saw Grimmjow charging at Ulquiorra with something in his hand. Something _small _and _black_. Inoue gasped as she realised what it was and sprinted forwards.

"Ulquiorra-san!" She screamed but it was too late. Grimmjow grabbed Ulquiorra's shoulder and inserted the Caja Negación inside Ulquiorra's hollow hole. At the same time Inoue had managed to reach Ulquiorra and ran into his chest, grasping his ripped vest. Ulquiorra's eyes widened and he tried to pry the woman off, but the Caja Negación was already closing.

"Stupid woman." Ulquiorra muttered before they were sucked into the Caja Negación's world.

* * *

**Well, see you guys over a week! :D (Going to U.K)**


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